Just Be Happy
by EmiliaElliot18
Summary: Isabella Swan is not happy. She keeps a smile on her face to keep the questions at bay. But what happens when a new family moves into town? Will her secrets be found out? I own nothing. First FF so be nice. Sorry if there are grammer mistakes!
1. Preface

Just Be Happy

Preface

I remember my first day in kindergarten. My teacher, Mrs. Fillmore, an old woman with crazy gray hair and red lipstick that was more on her teeth than it was her lips, gave us a very simple assignment: draw a picture of what you want to be when you grow up.

While all the other kids around me sat, sucking their thumbs and thinking much too hard about a question that won't even apply to them till their much older, I knew immediately what I wanted to draw. I quickly grabbed the yellow and green crayons that had been placed in front of me and got to work on my picture.

I noted that I was the first one done as I sat back to inspect my drawing. I smiled and nodded to myself, proud of what I had drawn. Mrs. Fillmore saw that I had finished drawing and walked over to where I sat.

"You already done there, kiddo?" She asked with a smile. I could see all the red from her lipstick on her teeth, and I giggled as I nodded.

She took the picture from my desk to see what I had drawn. I watched as her eyebrows furrowed together.

She leaned back down next to me and set the paper back down.

"I don't think you understood what you were supposed to do here, honey." She said as she looked over my drawing again.

"Yes I did!" I exclaimed.

"But, I asked you to write down what you wanted to be when you grew up." She explained again.

I nodded and looked back at my picture. All I had drawn on the blank sheet of paper was a big yellow smiley face with the word "Happy" written under in. It was spelled wrong, but it was the best I could do with the limited knowledge that I had learned from my mother.

"I just want to be happy when I'm all grown up." I explained to the teacher.

She looked at me for another moment, and then stood up and walked away, seemingly speechless.

That was what I had wanted to be all my life. Be happy.

When I was in second grade and mommy and daddy started fighting, I told myself to just be happy.

When I was in 5th grade, and mom vanished, just picked up her stuff and left, I told myself to just be happy.

When I was in 9th grade, and my father started to miss work and stay out late because he w as drinking away his sorrows, I told myself to just be happy.

I'm a senior now with a mother who hasn't contacted me about 8 years, an alcoholic father, and feels alone most of the time. I still tell myself to be happy. Am I happy?

Not so much.

My name is Isabella Swan. I have plain brown hair, brown eyes, and a pale complexion.

And I'm an amazing actress. I may be miserable, but no one knows it. Why?

Because, I just tell them that I'm happy.


	2. Chapter One: New Kids

Chapter One: New Kids

_Smile, Bella._ I told myself. _They're all watching._

I smiled once at myself in the rearview mirror. It was a pathetic smile, a lifeless one, but it satisfied the masses and kept the questions at bay, and that's all that mattered.

I took a deep breath as I pulled the hood from my hoodie over my head. It was raining-as per usual. It is Forks. I stepped out of my truck and slung my backpack over my shoulder. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to retain any warmth that the heater from my truck had provided, and made my way to the picnic tables closest to the Spanish room, where I knew Jessica and Angela would be, with their umbrellas up and their hoods down-God forbid the ruin their hair.

Angela wasn't as superficial as Jessica by any means, but she still cared about normal teenager stuff. How their hair looked, if their clothes were fashionable. Things that I couldn't care less about.

"Hey Bella!" Angela called to me when I was in ear shot.

"Ang, Jess." I greeted with a smile.

Jessica smiled at me, and then launched into a pointless story about some gossip she had heard. We sat at the table for five minutes as she prattled on, but suddenly, she cut off.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked as Jessica stared out at the parking lot.

Jessica nodded forward towards the parking lot. "New kids." She said as an awe struck look passed over her face.

I looked up to see what could have caused her to act so strangely, and for once, I felt as though I understood Jessica.

There were two kids standing near a silver Volvo in the parking lot. The girl was short, barely reaching up to the top of the car, and very thin. She had short black hair that was spiked into a fashionable disarray, and was dressed in clothes you could tell were expensive just by looking at them.

But the awe stuck look was not caused by the beautiful girl or the car. It was because of the guy standing next to the car.

He was tall and lean, but was obviously very fit. His hair was an unusual shade of bronze, almost like a penny. His hair was tousled, as if he had just rolled out of bed or had run his hand through his hair repeatedly. He was pale with a very angular face that looked as if it had been chiseled. And even from where I was standing, I could see his brilliant green eyes that were full of such deep emotion that I was staggered.

"He is gorgeous!" Jessica exclaimed as she examined the beautiful boy. We watched him as he and the girl walked up the pathway leading to the main office, presumably to get their schedules.

I shook myself out of the haze the mysterious new boy had induced and stood up.

"I've got to get to class, guys. I'll, uh, see you later." I mumbled.

They both said good bye, neither of them really registering I was leaving because their eyes were focusing on the main office.

I walked into my first period English class and sighed as I sat down. I was alone for a moment, the students refusing to come in until the last second and the teacher always coming in a few minutes late.

Since I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, due to a drunken father and his friends being obnoxiously loud until they finally passed out at 4am, I laid my head down on my desk to get a moments rest.

It was cut short though by the sound of the door opening.

"Is this the senior English class?" A bell like voice asked.

I looked up to see the new girl standing there with a beautiful smile on her face. She was holding her schedule in her hand, which was already slightly damp from the rain.

"Yep." I said with a nod.

She smiled at me and sighed. "Ok, good. I hate moving to new schools. You can never find anything."

I smiled back at her as she sat down in the desk next to mine.

"Have you moved a lot before?" I asked curiously.

She nodded as she pulled a binder out of her back pack. It was hot pink and had the word English written on it.

"About four times. My father is a doctor." She said with a shrug.

I just stared at her. Normally doctors don't require moving around a lot.

She laughed at my expression. "My dad is a very good man. He wanted to be at a hospital where he felt that he was really needed. We started out at a hospital in New York, but they were over staffed anyways, so he wanted to find some place that actually needed him. We went from there to LA, to Oregon, and now here. He had heard that the hospital was really short staffed since the main surgeon passed away, so my dad decided this is where he needed to be." She shrugged.

"Wow. That's really great of him. We did need a new doctor desperately around here."

"You couldn't find a better one than Carlisle." She said with a smile. "My dad is great."

The class started filtering in at this point, as well as the teacher. The girl smiled over at me as the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

"Oh! What's your name?" She whispered as the teacher started class.

I smiled at her, and this smile, though not completely real, felt more lively than normal. "Bella. What's yours?"

She smiled at me again. "Alice Cullen."


	3. Chapter Two: Forest Fire

Chapter Two: Forrest Fire

Alice was a nice girl. Mrs. Malcolm, the English teacher, gave us a free day- I'm pretty sure she was hung over; she looked like my dad normally did after a very long night of partying-so Alice and I got to talk for a while. She had two brothers named Edward and Emmett. Edward was her fraternal twin and was the beautiful boy I had seen earlier by the car. Emmett was in college at the University of Seattle with his girlfriend. She had a boyfriend named Jasper, who was Emmett's friend. He just transferred to the University of Seattle to be closer to Alice.

I enjoyed talking to her. Alice was really easy going, and I didn't have to pretend as much when I was around her. Her bouncy personality was contagious, making it easy to get along with her.

The only problem was she was too perceptive. It's like she knew something was up with me. Whenever she asked me a question about my family, my past, my life in general, I avoided it. She was asked me about my parents, and I just shrugged it off. I didn't want her to pity me, like I felt Jessica did sometimes. I felt like I was just "the girl whose mother left her." I didn't want to be that with Alice. It was hard enough to keep from most Charlie's real nature, his alcoholic problems. The only people who knew were the other drunks he hung out with at the bars, and they were all too drunk to remember him anyways.

But she knew I was keeping things from her, and for some reason, she wanted to know what those things were.

"What class do you have next?" She asked as we packed up our stuff.

"Spanish." I sighed.

"Darn. I have gym. Well, I'll see you in lunch then, I guess." She said as we walked out the door and into the nasty forks weather.

"Yeah, ok, see you then." I smiled and waved as we parted ways.

The first half of the day passed by relatively quickly. Spanish was spent translating a paragraph that ended up being completely pointless. My next class, math, was boring because all we did was take a test, which I completed within the first ten minutes of class. I read a book for the other 40 minutes.

Then came lunch. For most kids, lunch was the one period of the day where you didn't have to try at all, you just got to talk and eat. For me it was stressful. I sat with Jessica, Angela, Lauren, Mike, Tyler, and Ben. Lauren hated my guts for some unknown reason, so that was one of my problems. Then there was the fact that I was constantly being thrown into conversations that I didn't want anything to do with. Sometimes I just wanted to be alone so I could think or read a book. But at lunch, I was surrounded by people.

I figure that since I was being thrown into conversations anyways, I would find Alice, someone that I actually didn't mind talking to. As I entered the cafeteria, I looked around, trying to find her. I finally spotted the back of her head as I came out of the lunch line. She was standing near the entrance of the cafeteria talking on her cell phone, her back to me. Then I got the feeling that I was being watched.

Standing a few feet over from her was her brother, the one I had noticed earlier. Except this time, his brilliant green eyes were focused on me. I stared back, entranced by his eyes. They were so vibrant and emotional…it was like they were on fire. It was like a forest fire. And I couldn't escape it.

"Earth to Bella!" I heard some say in my ear. I looked over to see Mike Newton staring at me with a confused look on his face. I could still feel Edward staring at me as I tried to focus on Mike's face. "What are you staring at?"

"Uhh…I uhh…Alice. I'm going to see if Alice wants to sit with us today."

Mike looked confused for a moment before he looked around and spotted Alice. "Oh, the new girl."

I nodded at him and then he looked back at Alice and Edward. "What's up with the guy? Is he like her boyfriend or something?"

I shook my head. "No, it's her brother." I said.

At that moment, Alice looked up at me and smiled widely. I smiled back and waved her over. I watched as the petite ball of energy ran over, towing her brother along by the hand.

"Hi Bella!" She said excitedly when she approached. "Edward, this was the nice girl I was telling you about earlier."

I looked up at Edward, willing myself not to get lost in his eyes again.

If I thought he was gorgeous when he was just standing there, it was nothing compared to him when he smiled. His smile was slightly crooked, but it suits him perfectly. It reached his eyes, making them sparkle, and my heart started going double time.

"Hello, Bella." He said in a voice that was as smooth as velvet but as hot as fire.

I smiled back at him as best as I could in my daze. "Hi, Edward. Nice to meet you."

Mike coughed obnoxiously and put his arm around my shoulder. I gave him a look that clearly said "what the hell?" but he ignored me as I shrugged out from under his arm.

"Uhh, this is my _friend_ Mike. Mike this is Alice and Edward Cullen."

"Hi, Mike." Alice said brightly, though I could see in her eyes that she didn't like him too much already.

"Helloo." He said, trying to sound flirtatious.

I saw Alice stifle a giggle and Edward rolled his eyes. They landed on me after a moment and I made myself look away. I had wanted to ask Alice something before he got me all…flustered.

"Oh! Alice, do you two want to sit with us?" I asked.

She beamed at me. "Sure. Sounds good to me. Shall we get some food then?"

I nodded and the four of us-Mike was awkwardly trailing along next to me, trying to get my attention. I ignored him and focused on not tripping in front of the Adonis I could sense behind me.

We sifted through the lunch line quickly, trying to find something that looked somewhat edible. I finally settled on just getting a bottle of lemonade and a somewhat ripe apple. By the time Alice, Edward, and I had all paid for our food, Mike was already at our normal table, devouring his meal. I rolled my eyes as he waved us over.

"Bella, is he your boyfriend?" Alice asked me in a whisper, though I knew Edward could hear as he leaned slightly over to hear my answer.

"Ha, no! Mike is a friend…sometimes not even that if I'm being completely honest."

Alice laughed. "I had a feeling you were none too fond of him."

"Hey Bella!" Angela said as we approached the table.

"Hey Angela. Guys, this is Alice and Edward. They just moved here from Oregon." I said as I placed my tray down. Alice plopped hers down next to me, leaving Edward to sit next to Mike, right across from me.

"Oh, trust me." Lauren Mallory said in her annoyingly nasally voice. "We've met." She looked over at Edward and smiled, trying to look seductive.

He smiled back politely, but even I could see the distaste in his eyes. She wasn't deterred though, and kept smiling at him, even after he had looked away.

The rest of the lunch period went past with the same "new kid" questions. I listened as well as I could, but I was exhausted, and having already heard this stuff earlier, my attention wasn't as riveted as it might have been.

The only times I did perk up and listen were when Edward was asked a direct question. His voice was so smooth; I couldn't help but let it absorb all my attention. He was charming. That much I knew for sure by the end of the lunch period. He was polite, a gentlemen. Even when Lauren asked obnoxious questions, such as "how much can you lift…you know, like working out and stuff," and completely worthless questions such as that.

The only time I didn't mind her questioning was when she asked about his love life.

"So, Edward. Do you, like, have a girlfriend?" She asked. Anyone could see the hope in her eyes.

"No, I don't." Edward said simply.

"Well, I know there are plenty of single girls in this town who would be glad to help with that situation." She smirked at him, but he kept his eyes fixed on his tray of food that was nearly gone.

"I think I'm fine on my own, thank you." He said politely. "I want to date to find the real deal, not just for a fling. I'm sure you understand." He said. I wanted to laugh. He may be polite, but I could hear the undertone of sarcasm, and it made me laugh.

"Something funny, Swan?" Lauren asked as she glared at me.

"Nope, nothing whatsoever. If you'll all excuse me, I've got to get to physics. I can't be late again."

"Oh, you have physics next?" Edward asked as I stood up.

I nodded as I gathered my half empty bottle of lemonade and my apple core.

"Mind if I walk with you? I'm headed there next and am not sure how to get there." He said with a smile.

"Yeah sure." I said.

Edward gathered his tray and his belongings and dumped them as we walked out of the cafeteria. Once we were out the doors, the noise from the cafeteria fading into a low murmur behind us, Edward began to speak.

"So Bella." He started. "Have you lived here your whole life?"

I nodded. "Mostly. I lived in Phoenix till I was like two, but I really don't remember much about it. Just that my mom loved it and always talked about it when I was growing up." I realized I had said too much. I never gave this much information up about my parents. The only thing I ever offered up was that my dad was the Police Chief here. That was all they needed to know. My dad had originally made up the story that he and Renee had mutually decided to divorce and that she moved away, but being such a small town, everyone knew that was a lie. They all knew how she left us with no word as to where she was going.

"Why did you move here then?" He asked. The physics building was in sight, so I knew I could probably figure out an easy way to avoid a conversation I didn't want to have.

"My dad grew up here and always felt very connected to this town. He was up in Phoenix not long after he graduated high school. He met my mom, had me, and then we moved back here when he heard there was an opening for the police chief."

"I see." Edward said, seeming to contemplate his next question. I had to distract him.

"So, uh, Alice tells me your dad is a doctor?" I asked, trying to divert the subject.

He nodded and smiled. "Yes. My dad is a great guy and a great doctor. I look up to him in so many ways."

I sighed, but put on a fake smile. I would never look up to either of my parents in that way. I wish I could, but they weren't much to look up to.

"That's nice…you know, to have a role model like that. He sounds like a great guy. What about your mom?"

He looked at me curiously, but answered.

"Esme." He said with a smile. "She's an architect. She designs buildings, and also dabbles in interior design. She's an awesome woman. What about you-"

"Here's the physics room." I said quickly.

He looked up quickly. "Oh." He said, probably startled by my interruption.

I walked into the class room and smiled at the teacher, Mr. Monroe. He smiled back as I approached him, Edward trailing right behind me.

"Mr. Monroe, this is Edward Cullen. He just moved here."

"Mr. Cullen, welcome to Forks. Did you take physics at your old school?" Mr. Monroe asked.

"No." Edward replied. "I took chemistry, but that class was full here."

Mr. Monroe thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "No big deal I suppose. The year just started, so it's not like you've missed that much. And anything you need help with, I'm sure Miss. Swan can help you with. She's an exceptional student." He smiled at me.

"Thanks." I replied.

"In fact, take a seat by Bella, Edward. You don't have a lab partner, do you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Ok, great. Take your seats then, kids. Class starts in five minutes."

I showed Edward back to where we now both sat now. It was the desk farthest back in the classroom. I could hide easier that way, like when I wanted to read in class or sneak in a nap. Mr. Monroe didn't really care. I still aced every test and had an A. I had him last year for Chemistry, so he knows I can handle it.

I threw my bag down on the floor next to my normal desk. I decided to pick the side closest to the window, because I enjoyed staring out of it and daydreaming.

"Nice. I like sitting in the back." He said with a smile as he sat down on his stool.

"I know me too. I basically pushed everyone out of the way so I could get this seat." I shrugged.

"So is anyone else in this class that your friends with?" He asked curiously.

"Ummm…just Mike. And thank goodness he was dating Jessica on the first day of school and had to sit by her, or I would have had to sit next to him." I shuddered at the thought.

"I don't get it." He began questioningly. "Why are you friends with him if he annoys you this much."

I sighed. "He's a nice guy, he just tries too hard. And plus this is a small town. The fewer enemies I have, the better."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, this does seem like the kind of town where everyone knows everyone."

I sighed "Yeah, basically. It kind of sucks though, because there is almost no way to keep a secret in this town." It was so hard keeping the secret about Renee and my father from everyone. But at least the drunks he hung out with kept their mouth shut, and I sure wasn't going to tell anyone.

"My, my, my, Bella. It sounds as though you speak from experience." Edward said with a mischievous smirk.

"What are you talking about?"

"It sounds like you have some secrets that you've had a hard time keeping."

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Everyone has secrets, Edward. I'm sure you have some of your own."

"Eh." He said. "I have a few, but I'm pretty open about everything."

"Well, I'm not." I said a bit defensively. I wasn't stupid. I knew that sooner or later, both he and Alice would know about my mother and pity me like everyone else seemed to. But until then, I just wanted them to like me for me. Not because they would feel bad if they didn't.

"I'll figure them out eventually." He said confidently. "I'm really good at reading people."

I sighed and turned from him to look at the clock. Two minutes till the class would start filing, so I figured I was in the clear.

Wrong.

"So, Bella, you told me about your father, what about your mother? What does she do for a living?" He asked curiously.

Oh great. How do I get out of this one? I didn't want him to know, not yet.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked. "Your face looks paler then it usually is."

"Uh, nothing. Sorry, I just zoned out. You see, my mom is a-"

"Bella? Can you run these to the office for me?" Mr. Monroe asked, looking at me expectedly.

"Sure!" I said with a bit too much enthusiasm. I looked over at Edward. "Be right back." I said with what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

I walked up to the teacher's desk where he sat with a smile, holding the papers out to me. As I went to grab them, he pulled them back and gave me a knowing look.

"You looked like you could use some help. Awkward conversation?" He whispered.

I gave him a relieved look. "Yes. Thank you, Mr. Monroe. I really appreciate it."

He smiled again. "No problem, Bella. Take your time."

He handed me the papers and waved me along. I gladly walked out the door. Mr. Monroe was truly a good man. He was good friends with both of my parents for the longest time, so I knew him pretty well. But, after my mom left, my dad stopped being social with everyone who had been friends with her also, besides Billy Black. I think that's why Mr. Monroe let me get away with everything his class without so much as a warning. He knew what my mom had done to me, and I think he knew that Charlie wasn't the greatest parent on the planet.

As I walked to the office, my rarely used cell phone went off. I looked down at the caller ID and saw that it was Charlie calling from the police station. I knew exactly what he was calling to say, but I figured I better answer it anyways. I snuck back into an area between two of the buildings where students normally went to make out. You couldn't be seen from any of the classes, so it was safe.

"Hello?"

"Bella, it's your father." He said gruffly.

"Hey dad, what's up?" I already knew exactly what he would say.

"I'm going out after work tonight. Probably up to Port Angeles since it's a Friday. I'll give you a call when I'm on my way home." His voice had no life to it, like talking to me was a chore.

I sighed. "Ok, dad. Have fun and be safe."

"Bye." He said, and then hung up.

"Love you." I whispered to no one. I sighed as I wiped away the stray tear that had fallen.

I quickly walked to the office and gave the secretary the papers and hauled out before she could question me about my dad and everything else. The woman was nice, but she didn't know when to shut up.

I walked back to the classroom quickly. The rain was beginning to pick up, and I could tell a storm was on its way. Great.

When I entered, Mr. Monroe had already begun the class. He smiled in my direction as I headed to my seat and I gave him a half smile.

I could feel Edward's stare on me as I took my seat, and it made me uncomfortable. It was too intense.

"Bella?" He whispered. "Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

He looked like he didn't believe me, but he let it drop.

At the end of class, as we gathered up our stuff to go to our last class of the day, Edward smiled at me.

"You'll let me in eventually Bella. I'll figure you out." He said with a determination and intensity I didn't understand. And then he walked away.


	4. Chapter Three: Blackout

Chapter Three: Blackout

I walked out to my truck with confusion written all over my face. Why was the handsome new boy trying so hard to get to know me? There was no reason for him to want to know me. I was just plain. And he was…anything but plain. He was amazing. And gorgeous. And everything that I wasn't.

I looked across the parking lot to where he was parked and saw him standing, waiting for his sister, who was walking across the campus, talking on her cell phone. When I finally made it to my truck, I noticed that he was staring at me, his green eyes shining. It was starting to rain harder and harder, but he didn't look like he cared. I was distracted staring at him while he stared right back, until I head the first boom of thunder out in the distance.

A storm was approaching. Great. And I was home alone. Even greater. Probably for the entire night, if I knew my father right. He would get drunk and stay somewhere in Port Angeles.

I hopped in my truck, desperate to get home and start the heat. I turned the key in my ignition.

And nothing happened. Fabulous.

I tried it again, and still nothing happened. I banged my head against the steering wheel.

"Why today?" I asked my truck. "Why on this shit-tacular day do you have to die on me?"

I was startled when I heard a knock on my window. I looked over to see Alice standing there, umbrella in hand. I rolled down my window and smiled at her as best as I could.

"Hey, Alice. What can I do for you?"

She laughed. "It's more like what can I do for you? Do you need a ride home?" She asked.

"Oh, I can just walk." I said as I hopped out of my car and slung my backpack over my shoulder. "It's not that far."

Alice gave me an incredulous look as she pulled me under her umbrella.

"Bella, the rain is coming down harder as we speak. It is starting to thunder and lightning. We are giving you a ride home." She started pulling me towards her car despite my protests.  
"I don't want you make you guys go out of your way." I said as she pulled me to a stop in front of the Volvo where Edward was standing, now equipped with an umbrella.

"Edward, Bella here is afraid to "make you go out of your way" to take her home. I don't mind at all, do you?" She asked him with a smirk on her face.

"Not one bit." Edward said with a smile. "Hop in Bella."

"Fine." I finally gave in. "But I'm paying you for gas."

Alice laughed as she hopped into the back seat while Edward walked around and opened the passenger's side door for me. I smiled at him as I got in. He was a gentleman.

"Ok, where do you live?" Edward asked as he put the keys in the ignition. I listened with envy as his car started.

I gave him my address and then he pulled out of the parking lot. The weather got increasingly worse as we drove. The rain was pouring so hard that it was hard to see five feet in front of you, and at one point, it even began to hail. But no matter what, Edward's driving was perfect. Perhaps too fast, but not that bad.

When we finally pulled into my driveway, the storm was probably still an hour away, but it was awful.

"Guys, I would feel so much better if you just came in to my house until the storm passes. It looks really bad, and it's my fault you had to drive all the way out here."

Alice looked outside at the rain, her eyes slightly squinted and she nodded. "Yeah, Edward, it's pretty bad. Maybe we should try to wait it out."

Edward gave his sister a strange look, but nodded. "Ok, as long as you don't mind having us."

"Not at all." I insisted.

We all sprinted up to the door as the rain pounded down on us. I frowned up at the sky as I unlocked the door.

"Make yourselves at home." I said as I took my shoes off. "Can I get you guys anything to drink? Water, coke?"

Alice smiled at me. "A coke would be nice."

Edward nodded. "I'd like one too, if you don't mind."

"No problem at all." I said as I took their jackets from them and hung them up. "Just have a seat in the living room, and I'll bring them in a moment."

I walked into the kitchen and pulled out three glasses. As I filled them with ice, I heard the TV click on and quiet whispers coming from the living room. I smiled lightly to myself. It was nice to hear other people around here. Charlie was hardly ever around anymore, and when he was, he was yelling at the TV screen and ignoring me.

It wasn't always like that though. Charlie was a good guy before my mother left. He was a good father who would do anything for his family. I remember once when at the beginning of fourth grade, I was so sick that I could barely move. My mother was out of town for the week on some sort of "business trip," so my dad had to stay home from work to take care of me. When I woke up, he carried me down to the couch and made me a sick island. The couch was loaded with all my pillows and my favorite blankets. He had a garbage can on the ground next to my head in case I had to throw up, books, the TV remote, all the Disney movies I could possibly want to watch, and saltine crackers and ginger ale galore. He sat with me all day as we watched beauty and the beast and the little mermaid and Aladdin.

I was brought out of my reverie by a thunder boom and my cell phone ringing. I didn't even bother checking the caller ID. I knew who it would be and what they would say.

"Hey, dad. What's up?" I asked.

"Isabella?" He slurred, talking louder then was necessary. "It's your father!"

I sighed loudly. "Yeah, dad I know."

"Don't give me attitude!" He scolded into the phone. "Now, I'm just calling to let you know I won't be home tonight. I'm gonna stay up in Port Angeles for the night."

"Ok, be careful dad. It's storming really bad and-"

"I know!" He interrupted me, speaking so loudly, I had to move the phone away from my face. "I'm not stupid; I can see its storming. I'll be home tomorrow."

"Ok, dad. Love you?" I said, although it sounded like a question.

And there was no answer. The phone line went dead. He hung up on me again. I sighed and slammed the phone shut and tossed it onto the counter. I felt yet another tear slip down my cheek, and I wiped it away.

As I started picking up the glasses to bring into the living room, I was startled by someone clearing there throat behind me. I jumped, nearly dropping the glasses, and turned to see Edward standing in the doorway.

"Oh! You scared me. I didn't see you standing there." I said awkwardly, wondering how much of that conversation he heard.

"Is everything ok?" He said as he walked over to me. He grabbed two of the glasses, leaving me the third one. "You seemed kind of upset about that phone call."

"Oh yeah… um, my dad just can't make it home because of the storm, and I'm not the biggest fan of thunderstorms. But I'll be fine." I said with what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

"Yeah." I waved him off. "I'm kind of used to it." I said with a sad smile. I walked past him and hurried into the living room so he couldn't say anymore.

When we got into the living room, Alice was just hanging up the phone as we walked in.

She thanked me when Edward handed her the drink, and then began to speak.

"Mom says if the storm doesn't calm down in like 5 minutes, she wants us to head home so we're there before it gets any worse."

"Are you sure you guys will be ok?" I asked Alice. "It's really getting bad out there." And, if I was being honest, I didn't want to be alone, but I would never admit it.

"Yeah, Edward is a great driver. He's never been in an accident and we've driven through a lot worse than this." Alice said with a laugh.

"Well, at least text me when you get home?" I asked. "Just to make me feel better."

Edward smiled and held out his phone so I could put my number in it, as did Alice, and I gave them mine in return. I smiled internally. I had Edward's number now.

After they finished their cokes, they decided it was time to head home. It was getting worse out there, and I was very worried, so I kept my phone close to me as I sat on the couch with the TV on. Whenever I was alone at night, I would always put a Disney movie in. I knew it was the one thing that would remind me of the good times. I could remember Charlie, being the loving caring father who loved me, sitting in the recliner besides the couch, smiling at me as I sang along with the songs.

I sighed with relief when my phone chirped, showing that I had one new text message from Edward.

We're home safe and sound.

Are you sure you're ok?

I sighed with a smile. It was nice to have someone care about me for once.

Ok, good.

And I'm fine. I just really dislike thunderstorms.

Don't worry about me :)

He sent back simple "Ok, text me if you need anything," and that was the last of it.

I quickly ran upstairs to change into some more comfortable clothing. I grabbed an old t-shirt that I basically swam in because it was so big on me and my favorite pair of sweatpants. I threw my hair up into a messy bun and walked back down stairs, planning to spend a long evening in front of the TV.

I sat on the couch watching TV for about another hour while the storm got progressively worse and worse. I was wrapped in a blanket with the remote in my hand and a fresh coke in the other, halfway through Beauty and the Beast when suddenly…the power went out.

"Shiiiit!" I yelled. I peeked out the window to see the nearby houses all as pitch dark as mine. "Great. Just fan-freaking-tastic!"


	5. Chapter Four: Care

Chapter Four: Care

I walked into the kitchen, using the cell phone as my only light source, to find a flashlight. Once I finally found it, I searched around the kitchen for some matches and a candle. I muttered to myself as I walked back into the family room to light it. I was about to call someone, Jessica, Alice, Angela, just to see if all of Forks was out, but my cell phone had no service and the land lines were down.

I lay on the couch and curled into a ball right next to the candle. I hated this. I hated having to be alone like this.

I started thinking about another memory I had of my family from when I was younger. It was in 2nd grade. There was an awful storm in Forks, much like this one, and the power had gone out. I've always hated thunderstorms. They scared the crap out of me even as a child. Both of my parents knew that. So when the power went out, they did anything they could to keep me distracted. So, we found a bunch of flashlights and blankets and candles and set them up around the room. We got some snacks and sat on the floor. I sat on my dad's lap as my mom read one of my favorite books at the time aloud to me. I was actually sad when the power came back on.

I was scared shitless when suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. I screamed and jumped up, running to the door to make sure it was locked. I peeked out the window to see a man standing there with a hood pulled up over his head so you couldn't see his face. I was too afraid to open the door, so I just stood there praying to God whoever it was would just go away.

"Bella!" I heard a familiar velvety voice call. "It's Edward! Let me in!"

I quickly unlatched the locks on the door and yanked it open. And there he stood, his bronze hair dripping wet and sparkling in the limited moonlight.

I let him in and shut the door, locking it behind him.

"Edward, what in God's name are you doing here? It's awful out there!" I yelled as he shook his hair out.

"You said you didn't like thunderstorms." He shrugged. "So, I figured that you really wouldn't like one where the power goes out. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

I smiled lightly at him. "That's really sweet of you. But those roads are bad. I would have never forgiven myself if you had gotten hurt on the way here."

He rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm an excellent driver. It takes more than a little storm to mess me up."

Just then a flash of lightening so bright that it lit up my house struck, and a massive boom from the thunder followed it.

"Little storm?" I said sarcastically.

He laughed. "Well, you know what I mean."

I took a moment to look him over. The only part that was really wet on him was his hoddie and his hair. Everything else was relatively dry.

"Here, let me grab you a towel." I turned around and felt my way to the linen closet that was next to the kitchen.

"Be careful!" He said.

"Please. It takes more than a little blackout to mess me up." I said with a smirk though he couldn't see. I heard his laugh travel through the darkness and couldn't help but smile.

I quickly grabbed a towel and then made my way back over to where he was standing. I handed it to him.

"Thanks." He said softly.

"Yup. Why don't you take your shoes off and have a seat?" I suggested. "You might be here for a while."

He laughed. "Are you holding me hostage?" He teased.

I laughed with him. "Until the roads clear, yes, you are my captive."

I watched as he slipped his shoes off and then began towel drying his hair. After that he stripped of his wet hoodie to reveal a light green undershirt that was slightly damp and uncomfortable looking.

He then pulled out of his front pocket a small flashlight and shined it so that it somewhat illuminated the room we were in.

"Here, go have a seat in the living room. I'll take the flashlight upstairs and get some more candles and supplies." I offered.

He nodded and handed me the flashlight. "Be careful." He said sternly.

"Yes, sir." I said with another smirk.

I carefully made my way up the stairs. I knew that I had put some candles in the bathroom closet and that there was also a clean laundry basket sitting near the bathroom that contained an old flannel shirt that Edward could borrow.

After I grabbed the shirt for Edward to borrow, I remembered what I was wearing. It wasn't exactly flattering, but it would have to do…it would be too obvious if I changed my outfit right now. I shrugged after a moment. What did it matter? It's not like a guy like that would actually have interest in me.

So I threw all the supplies in an empty basket near the bathroom and then started back down the stairs, the flashlight slightly illuminating my path. When I got back to the hallway I could just barely make out Edward sitting on the couch by the one candle I had lit. I reached into my basket and pulled out the clean shirt.

"Here. The one you're wearing looks uncomfortable." I threw the shirt at him. "Sorry about the flannel. It's the only thing Charlie wears." I said with a shrug.

He smiled at me. "It's quite alright. Thank you, Bella."

I smiled back and mumbled a "mhmm" as I started to light candles. Once they were all light, I placed them in various places around the room so it was somewhat lit up. I stood back after a moment and made sure the candles were all in safe places that wouldn't cause a fire. After a moment I was satisfied, and I started to walk back to the couch.

As I turned around though, I got sidetracked. Edward was changing his shirt, pulling of his green one to reveal what was probably the best body I'd ever seen. I looked away quickly, blushing, before returning to my spot on the couch. I curled up in the end of it and pulled a blanket around me.

"So what should we do to occupy ourselves until the storm passes?" He asked.

I looked up to see him buttoning the flannel shirt. I shrugged.

"I don't know…we could…play a game?" I suggested lamely.

He laughed. "Okay. How about 20 questions. If we're going to be stuck together for a while, we might as well get to know each other."

I bit my lip. I hated answering questions about myself, but it was only fair.

"Only under one condition." I said, looking at him seriously.

"Okay, what?"

"We each get three vetoes." I said firmly.

"One." He countered.

"Two." I offered back.

He nodded. "Okay. You go first."

I bit my lip and thought for a few moments. What was something that I wanted to know about Edward, this Greek god that was standing in front of me?

"Hmmm…when's your birthday?" I asked lamely.

He smiled. "June 20th. When's yours?"

"September 13th."

He grinned again. "So it's coming up? Is there going to be a party?"

I glared at him. "Don't get any ideas. I hate parties. I hate anything that has to deal with me being the center of attention."

"Noted." He said with an all too innocent smile. "Ok, next question."

"Favorite color?" I randomly threw out.

His eyes smoldered as he said "Brown."

I blushed furiously and looked down at my hands. "Okay, your turn."

He looked thoughtful. "Let's see…What does your mom do?"

This guy wasted no time whatsoever.

"Veto." I said quickly.

"Okay then." He didn't press for details, and he just went on asking another pointless question. By the end of the next hour, nothing else stressful had been approached.

Finally, after about two hours, the storm seemed to have moved on, the thunder not nearly as bad as it was earlier. By now, we also had cell reception again, so Edward informed his parents that he was safe and he'd let them know when he was on his way home.

I smiled at him. "By the way-" I said, interrupting his turn. "Thank you for coming over here. It was really sweet of you." I blushed slightly and looked down at my hands again.

"Don't thank me. I could tell that you were upset earlier, and I couldn't just leave you alone…especially when the power went out. I knew you'd freak out." He said with a chuckle.

I looked up and glared. "Don't make fun of me. I've always hated thunderstorms. Ever since I was little they've freaked me out."

I checked my cell phone to see the time. It was 11pm. And suddenly, thank God, the power clicked back on.

"Finally." I muttered. All the clocks were blinking 12:00, and I knew it was going to be a pain to go around and change them all back. I stood up, stretching. We hadn't moved since we first began our game, so I was quite stiff.

"I should probably start heading home." Edward said as he stood up also. "It's getting pretty late…you'll be okay now, right?" He looked at me with concerned eyes.

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine. Just shoot me a text when you get home so I know you're okay."

He looked at me curiously. "Are you always this…preoccupied with taking care of others?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Does anyone ever get the chance to take care of you?"

"Nope. It's not in my nature to let people take care of me. It never has been."

Edward walked to the door with me trailing behind him.

"Well, I don't think that's fair." He said as he opened the door. A cool breeze rolled in making my hair fan back slightly. "Everyone needs to be taken care of once in a while."

I shook my head as he walked out the door. "Some of us don't have that luxury, Edward." I said quietly, regretting the words as soon as they were out of my mouth. "I'll see you later, Edward." And then I shut the door, quietly retreating to my room.

Some of us don't have the luxury of being taken care of. Some of us don't have anyone to take care of us.

**Hey everyone! I know this story may not be the greatest, but I'm trying! Review please! Next chapter is EPOV! **


	6. Chapter Five: The Truth Behind the Mask

Chapter Five: The Truth Behind the Mask (EPOV)

Bella's last words haunted me as I made my way back home. The sadness on her face as she said it was heartbreaking. There was something about Bella Swan. She had secrets, and for some reason I didn't completely understand, I wanted to know all those secrets. I wanted to be someone she could tell them too. But I could also see that she didn't trust easily, and that she wanted no pity. Whatever her secrets were, she seemed determined to keep them to herself.

Bella was special. Since the first moment I saw her in the cafeteria, I knew there was something different about her. She looked so…innocent. Her brown eyes searching the cafeteria, her teeth lightly chewing on her bottom lip. She was wearing makeup, but very little. Her clothes were casual. You could tell she didn't care about impressing others. And by the time her eyes landed on me, I knew I wanted to talk to her, to get to know her. But she was hard to crack. She had her secrets, and she wasn't going to give them up any time soon.

By the time I pulled into the driveway at my house, the rain had almost entirely let up. There was a light sprinkle falling as I walked slowly from my car to the house. I let myself in quietly, trying not to wake up anyone, but there was a pixie waiting for me as soon as I turned around.

"Did you have fun at Bella's house?" She asked, trying to remain innocent.

"Yes, I suppose so." I answered simply as I hung up my hoodie.

"What did you guys do?" She asked as she followed me into the kitchen.

"We played 20 questions and talked about random things. Why are you so curious?" I asked, turning around and eyeing her curiously.

She shrugged. "I like Bella. She seems like a sweet girl. I can definitely see us being best friends." She said simply. "And…I could also see you two being very, _very_ close." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Alice, stop. I just met the girl."

"So?" She said immediately. "I met Jasper at Emmett's birthday party. We were dating and saying I love you by the end of the night."

I rolled my eyes. "That's just because you and Jasper are strange." I smiled at her sarcastically.

She groaned. "Edward, trust me on this! You know I can just…sense things. And right now, I'm sensing that you and Bella could be good for each other. She seems like she needs…a friend."

For the first time since I got home that night, I looked at Alice seriously. "You get that feeling too?" I asked quietly.

She looked sad. "Bella seems like she has some problems that she is not dealing with. And she needs to deal with them or else it's going to eat her up inside."

"Well then, we just need to be there for her. I don't want to force her into talking. Let's just wait until she comes to us." I said simply.

Alice sighed. "Fine. We'll do this your way. But if it doesn't work, I'm going to have an intervention." Alice said firmly.

I laughed. "Yes. Ma'am." I saluted her.

She laughed with me. "Goodnight, Eddie."

"Night, Pix."

The next morning, Alice decided that we should go out to eat at a restaurant that she had seen the day before for breakfast. I agreed to go, deciding that I didn't feel like sitting around all morning.

Alice and I sat in a booth, chatting about mindless things while were waiting for our food. I was sipping on some coffee while Alice was slowly drinking her orange juice while trying to steal sips of coffee from my cup. Just as we started to talk about why coffee was not good for someone with as much energy as her, we heard the little bell on the door of the restaurant jingle. I looked up to recognize Jessica and Lauren, two girls from school who sat at our lunch table.

Lauren practically lit up when she saw that we were there, and she and Jessica quickly made their way over to our table.

"Edward, Alice! Hi!" Lauren said much too enthusiastically for my taste.

"Hi, Jessica. Lauren." I said, nodding at each of them while Alice waved casually.

Without even asking us, they sat down next to us, Jessica sliding in with Alice while Lauren slid in next to me. I cringed.

"So, how was your first day at Forks High School?" Lauren asked with what I guessed she thought was a seductive smile.

"Fine." I answered simply.

Alice nodded. "Yeah. There are some really nice people around here. Like Bella Swan. She was so nice to me." I could see Alice had something up her sleeve, but I didn't comment on it.

Lauren rolled her eyes while Jessica snorted.

"Please. Bella Swan will take any kind of friend she can get." Lauren sneered.

"But Jessica, aren't you friends with her?" Alice asked.

Jessica shrugged. "Her dad's the police chief. I don't want to get on his bad side." She said simply.

"She takes whatever kind of attention she can get." Lauren continued as if Jessica and Alice hadn't spoken.

Jessica nodded in agreement. "She obviously didn't get much attention growing up." Jessica added.

I looked between the two girls curiously. "What do you mean?"

Lauren looked shocked. "You two don't know?" Her eyes widened. You could tell she was excited to gossip. "Well you see, I think we were in, what, like, 5th grade. And for like a week straight, Bella didn't show up to school, but no one knew why. When she came back, the story was that her parents had a mutual divorce. But, we found out like a week later that her mom just walked out." She smiled like this was some great news. "The only thing she left was a note. No phone call, nothing personal. Just picked up her stuff while Bella was at school and her dad was at work and left. She hasn't heard from her since the divorce papers were delivered. And even then, her mom never communicated with them in person. She had her lawyer take care of everything." She concluded with a self satisfied smirk on her face.

"I'm confused. If you're not friends with Bella, how do you know all this is true?" I asked, not wanting to believe that this happened.

Lauren smiled. "My dad was her dad's lawyer. Charlie had to tell my dad the whole truth. And I just happened to be in the next room while they were talking about everything." She acted proud about this, like it was a good thing. I felt disgusted.

Alice looked very sad as she looked back and forth between Lauren and Jessica.

"Poor Bella. That's so sad."

Jessica shrugged. "She'll take attention anywhere she can get it." She rolled her eyes.

"Pick up order for Mallory?" The clerk at the desk yelled.

"That's us." Lauren said as she stood up. "See you two later!" She said with a smile and a wink as she walked away.

Alice and I didn't say anything as the two girls got up and left. We didn't say anything as the waitress brought us our food. We were quiet as we ate, both of us realizing that we now had an idea as to why Bella was the way she was. She didn't like anyone to take care of her because she never had her mother to take care of her. But what about Chief Swan? The girls didn't really say anything negative to them about Bella's father.

I was still contemplating this as I heard the cling of the bell again. I looked up to see Bella herself walk in and going straight up to the counter and sitting on the bar stool. I nudged Alice under the table and nodded in Bella's direction. Alice and I both watched Bella from where we sat, not wanting to alert to our presence.

"Hey sweetie." The older waitress said as she walked over to Bella with a large coffee in her hands. She set it in front of Bella along with two creams and two sugars. "You okay?"

Bella sighed and nodded. "Yeah, just a long night, I suppose." She started to dump the cream and sugar into her cup.

"The storm keep you up?" The lady asked as she prepared other drinks for other customers.

Bella shrugged. "No, I was fine during the storm actually." Bella answered. I could see her blush from where I was sitting. "I just had an awful night after that. I couldn't sleep."

The woman leaned forward and patted Bella's head. "Why don't you take the day off, then?"

Bella shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just let me get some coffee in my system and I'll be fine."

"Isabella Swan. The least you are going to do is taking a half day. I won't dock you any money. You work too much, kiddo."

Bella sighed. "Fine. But this is the last time, Joan. I feel guilty."

The woman, Joan, laughed. "You're off at noon. Get started whenever."

I watched as Bella smiled and stood up. She pulled of her jacket to reveal the waitressing outfit that everyone else who worked here was wearing.

"I'm all ready. I'll just keep my coffee here." Bella smiled as she took another sip. "Where do you want me at?"

I watched as Joan looked around, her eyes landing on my table.

Alice and I both looked at each other and acted as if we were deep in conversation.

"Take that table over there. Just check what they need and then give them their check when their ready."

"Alice." I whispered. "Do not mention anything about what Lauren and Jess told us."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Duh."

"Hey you two." Bella said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Need anything?"

"Hey, Bella!" Alice said with a huge smile. "You work here?"

Bella nodded. "Mhmm. I've been working here since the day I turned 16. Joan has a soft spot for me."

I smiled at her, realizing that this girl had could easily make people develop a soft spot for her. She was lovely, but she didn't even realize how lovely she was.

I smiled at her, purposely trying to charm her. I watched as her face got red and she looked at her hands.

"So Bella. How was the rest of your night last night?" I asked, even though I already knew.

Bella looked anywhere but at me. "Fine. I fell asleep right after you left."

I looked at her incredulously. "Really? Because you look really tired."

She smiled a very fake looking smile. "No, I'm fine. I just didn't put any makeup on today." She said simply.

Before I could call her out on her lie, the bell to the restaurant clanged again as a new set of customers walked in.

"I got to go. I'll talk to you guys later though." She said with a smile.

"Yes, I'm going to text you when you get out of work. Because you are coming to dinner tonight at my house."

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "I am?" She sounded hesitant.

"Yes you are. I already asked my mom this morning. She can't wait to meet you."Alice said.

I looked over at Alice. "You did?" Alice smiled at me.

"You sleep in very late, Edward. Mom and I made dad breakfast and cleaned the kitchen before you got up." She looked back at Bella. "I'll pick you up personally at 2. See you then."

Bella shook her head. "I couldn't. I don't want to impose on your family."

I shook my head. "Trust me, you wouldn't be. My mother enjoys nothing more than cooking for people. She'll love you."

Bella still looked reluctant, but then she shrugged. "Ok. But I can just walk there, you don't have to-"

"I'll be there at 2." Alice said again with a smile.

Bella giggled. "Okay, fine. I'll see you then."

And with that, she turned and walked to the table that was two down from us where the new customers sat.

"Hi, Welcome to the Joan's. Can I get you something to drink?"


	7. Chapter Six: Family

Chapter Six: Family

I was nervous to say the least.

I didn't know why. I was actually quite comfortable around Alice and Edward, but I wasn't used to a "family" environment. I didn't know how to act anymore. I did once when I was younger, but that was a long time ago. Things had changed immensely since then. I was no longer that girl.

And I wanted to look nice too. For once, I wanted to impress people. I really liked Alice and Edward, and I didn't want their parents to think less of me. So I went through my closet and pulled out my rarely used knit dress along with the black leggings. I let my hair down and let it tumble around my shoulders in its natural curls. After that, I put on some eyeliner and a little bit of clear lip gloss. I smiled into the mirror. Good enough.

As I was slipping on my shoes-just a pair of converses-I was surprised when the door opened. Charlie was home.

"Hey dad." I said, trying to smile at him.

"Shhhh. Do you have to yell?" He said in a whisper. Hungover. Of course.

"Sorry." I said quietly. "Uhh…I'm going to eat dinner at a friend's house. I'll be back later."

"Fine, it'll be nice and quiet without your chatter." He said gruffly as he flopped down on the couch.

I felt my eyes start watering as I looked down to check the time. 1:59. I only had a minute to suck it up, so I let a few tears fall before I demanded myself to get it under control. I couldn't let them see me like this. I just wanted to have a somewhat decent night.

I wiped the tears from my eyes as I heard a honk outside.

"Whoever that is, tell them to knock it the hell off!" Charlie yelled.

"Sorry dad." I said quietly. "I'm leaving. Love you."

"Yeah, whatever. Just be quiet."

I texted Alice, telling her I would be out in a moment. I ran into the kitchen really quick, getting a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin out of the cupboard. I brought it to where Charlie was laying and put it on the end table. Charlie peeked one eye out at me, squinting as he did so. He looked down at the stuff and grabbed it from me, not uttering a single thing. Dejected, I finally did leave the house.

I put on a happy face as I hopped into Alice's car. She smiled widely as I got in.

"Hi Bella!" She said happily. "I'm so so so happy you agreed to come today! My mom and dad are going to love you!"

I smiled as genuinely as I could. "I hope so."

"Don't you worry about it. I can already see that Esme will love you. They're both going to be happy enough to put a face to the name. I've told them a lot about you." She paused for a moment. "So has Edward."

I couldn't help that my heart leaped a little bit when she said that. He talked about me? At home? With his parents? "Good things, I hope?"

She laughed. "There are only good things to tell."

I rolled my eyes and laughed slightly.

The rest of the car ride was filled with Alice chattering and me filling in things occasionally when she left enough time for me to. She started down a curvy road that went over a small stream. I could see a clearing up ahead.

When we finally made it to the clearing, my breath caught in my throat. Their house was absolutely breath taking. It was huge and white. It looked like one of those mansions you would see in an old movie. I couldn't believe that they lived here…I couldn't believe a house like this even existed in Forks. I'd never been out this way.

Alice led me to the front door and opened it quickly, stepping inside. I followed right behind her and was even more stunned by the inside. It was very classy but modern. But most of all, it felt homey. Despite how beautiful everything was, you could tell it was lived in.

"Alice? Is that you?" I heard a feminine voice call.

"Yeah, mom! I've got Bella with me." Alice said back.

I watched as a beautiful woman approached us from what I assumed was the kitchen. She had hair down to her shoulders that was the same color as Edward's. Her eyes were a blue as blue as the sky and very warm.

"Hello, Bella. I'm Esme, Alice and Edward's mom. I've heard so much about you." She said with a warm smile. She extended her hand which I shook.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you for letting me join you for dinner." I said, smiling.

"Oh please, sweetie, call me Esme. And it's no trouble at all." She smiled again and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Now how about you two go set the table for me?" Esme asked, throwing her arms around each of our shoulders and heading towards the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."

"Ok, mom." Alice said. Alice handed me the silverware while she grabbed the plates. She then led me into a beautiful dining room with a glass table with black chairs surrounding it. I smiled at Alice as we set the table.

"Goodness, Alice, your house is beautiful."

She smiled. "Thanks. Esme designed it." She said proudly.

My eyes widened. "For real? That's incredible."

Alice nodded and looked like she was going to say something, but then she stopped. "Yeah, she did a great job."

I nodded. "That's an understatement."

It was quiet for a moment as we continued setting the table.

"What is this? My daughter is actually doing something? What a surprise."

I jumped slightly at the voice and turned around to see what the handsomest grown man I had ever seen. He was tall, pale and had blonde hair that was tamed into fashionable disarray.

"Oh, hush up, dad. I do plenty." Alice said with a pout.

"Keep telling yourself that." He teased back. He then looked at me, and I saw where Edward got his green eyes from. "And I assume this is the famous Bella?"

Alice nodded and smiled at me. "Yup. Bella, this is my dad Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Dad, this is my new friend Bella Swan."

Dr. Cullen walked over to me with a friendly smile on his face. "Nice to meet you Bella." He said as he shook my hand. "I've heard so much about you."

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Cullen."

Just as Esme did, he smiled and said, "Please, call me Carlisle."

I smiled. "Okay, Carlisle."

He laughed. "So what, did they put you to work already?" He asked, nodding at the silverware in my hand.

Esme walked in then, carrying some kind of food in her hand. "Yes, we did. A little hard labor never hurt anyone." She said with a wink in my direction. "Welcome home, honey." Esme leaned up and kissed her husband on the cheek.

He smiled at her and took the bowl of food from her hands, setting it on top of a placemat Alice had put on the table.

As Esme and Carlisle took care of bringing in the rest of the food, Alice and I took our spots around the table.

"Edward!" I heard Carlisle call.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Dinner is ready!"

"Ok! Coming!"

Carlisle walked into the dining room and smiled at me as he sat down at the head of the table. A few seconds later, Edward walked in.

"Hi, Bella!" He said with a smile. As usual, he looked breathtaking in his light blue dress shirt and his casual blue jeans. His hair was damp and darker than usual, showing that he just got out of the shower. He sat down in the chair across from me.

"Hi, Edward." I said softly, smiling shyly.

Alice smiled over at me. "By the way, Bella. I meant to tell you that you look amazing today. I really like that dress."

I blushed. "Thanks, Alice."

Esme walked in with the last of the meal and set it in the center. As all the bowls were un-lidded, I almost passed out by how wonderful everything looked and smelled. It had been so long since I had a home cooked meal that I hadn't cooked, and Esme's meal looked delicious. It consisted of ham that was perfectly cooked with pineapple on top, mashed potatoes that she had mashed herself, steamed vegetables, and apple sauce that she had apparently made herself.

"Shall we pray? Carlisle, would you say grace?" Esme asked.

"Of course."

Everyone around the table held hands, which required me to hold hands with Alice and Carlisle. He said a very nice grace, even thanking the Lord for my presence at the table. When he did so, he squeezed my hand gently. It felt nice being wanted and welcome.

After grace was said, we all dug in. During dinner, the conversation was nice and casual. It was nothing stressful, leaving me to enjoy what was turning out to be a lovely evening. Carlisle and Esme told me stories of Edward and Alice as younger kids, telling me all the embarrassing things they had done. And I couldn't help but laugh, and for once, it almost felt genuine.

After dinner, we all moved out to the living room where Esme served us dessert. It was a chocolate mousse type of thing. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was delicious. At one point, I watched with wonder as Alice leaned her head on Esme's shoulder and, without thought it seemed, Esme reached up and stroked her daughters head lovingly. I couldn't help but wonder if my mother would be like that. If she would stroke my head when I leaned my head on her shoulder because I was tired. And then I felt such an intense longing for someone to hold me, that it almost scared me. I had accepted the fact that Renee wasn't coming back, but that didn't mean I was over the fact that I had no mother.

Sometimes I even wished that somehow, Charlie would meet a wonderful woman somewhere and that she would change him back into the Charlie I knew as a young girl, and then I could be happy again with a mother and a father. I knew it was farfetched and that the chances of my drunken father ever meeting someone was slim to none, but I couldn't help but wish.

"So, Bella. Where is your father tonight?" Carlisle asked curiously.

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "He just came back from some kind of convention or meeting in Port Angeles. He didn't feel too well when he got back, so he's at home resting." I lied flawlessly.

Carlisle nodded while Esme looked concerned. "Is he at these things a lot?" She asked.

I smiled a fake smile. "He goes to these a few times a month, but he also goes up fishing during the weekends with his friend Billy in La Push. He loves fishing." I said with a forced laugh.

Esme smiled. "Well if you ever want some company when he's away, we have a guest bedroom that you would be more than welcome to use."

"Thank you so much, Esme, but I wouldn't want to in-"

I was cut off when I heard a booming voice yell "Guess who's home!" from the foyer.

Esme lit up while Carlisle laughed.

"I haven't a clue." Edward said sarcastically.

Suddenly, there was a huge man in the doorway to the living room. He had brown hair which slightly resembled Edwards but minus the red. He was very muscular and quite intimidating.

"Heeeeeeere's Emmett!" He made a big scene with jazz hands. I smiled despite myself.

"What are you doing here, honey?" Esme asked as she went over to Emmett and gave him a big hug.

"I felt like coming home for the weekend." He said with a shrug. "Rose and Jasper are heading down here soon, too."

"Jasper's coming too?" Alice asked, jumping up.

"Shit! I wasn't supposed to mention that." Emmett said as he hugged Alice.

"Language, Emmett." Esme scolded with a smile on her face.

"Sorry, mom." Then Emmett seemed to notice the random person sitting in his house. "And who is this lovely young lady?" He asked as he walked closer to me.

Edward smiled as he patted his brothers back. "This is our new friend Bella. We met her at school on our first day."

Emmett smiled and held his hand out to me. "Nice to meet ya Bells. Can I call you that?" He asked as I shook his hand.

Again, I couldn't help but smile as I looked at him. I giggled as I said "Sure. And it's nice to meet you too."

He smiled at me and then walked over to his dad. "Padre! How's life?" He asked.

Carlisle hugged Emmett. "It's good, son. How are you doing? Are you behaving yourself?"

Emmett nodded. "As much as I can."

Carlisle laughed. "That's all I ask."

"Hello? Emmett?" We heard from the foyer.

I turned around and saw the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen in my entire life walk into the room along with an incredibly good looking blonde man.

"Jasper!" Alice yelled as she flung herself at him. He hugged her close and kissed her forehead.

"Hey there, darlin'." He said with a slight southern accent that made him more endearing.

The woman who I assumed was Rosalie walked over to Emmett and grabbed his hand squeezing it. Alice dragged Jasper farther into the room. He and Edward fist bumped once they were close enough.

"Well are you going to introduce us to your friend?" Rosalie asked, smiling at me.

Alice piped up. "This is my new friend Bella Swan. Bella, this is my boyfriend Jasper Hale and Emmett's girlfriend Rosalie Hale. And I'm sure you figured out by now that Jasper and Rosalie are siblings."

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you both."

Jasper smiled. "I've already heard so much about you, Bella. It feels like I already know you."

I smiled at him, not really sure what to say. I wasn't used to being surrounded by this much…attention.

Emmett threw his arm around my shoulder. "Yeah, Bells here and I go way back."

I blushed slightly as Rosalie laughed and rolled her eyes.

"On his behalf, Bella, I apologize." Rosalie said.

I smiled. "It's okay. No need to apologize."

I looked over at the clock that was hanging on the wall in the room and saw that it was 6 o'clock already. I wasn't sure how much longer I was allowed to stay, so I had planned to ask Alice when I got her alone for a minute. This evening had been so wonderful so far, I was afraid to see it end.

But it had to end. And Charlie decided to help it along.

My phone vibrated, and I looked down at it, cringing when I saw that it was Charlie.

"Excuse me for a moment. It's my father."

"Of course, sweetie." Esme said with a smile as she gathered up dessert dishes.

I walked out of the room quickly and went out the front door.

"Hello?"

"Isabella? It's your father." Ugh, I was so sick of that standard greeting.

"Hi dad. What's up?"

He coughed. "Where the hell are you?"

I sighed. "I told you when you got home. I went to my friend's house for dinner."

He grunted. "Well what am I supposed to do for dinner then?"

"I left you some food in the fridge. Just put it in the microwave for three minutes and it should be ready to eat."

"I want you to be home before seven, do you understand? You should have asked me first."

In the background, I distinctly heard the sound of him cracking open a can of beer. I suppressed the sob I felt coming up.

"Okay. I'll leave here soon."

"Good." He said, and then he hung up.

I had to calm myself down before I went back inside that house. I didn't want them to see me like this. I couldn't stand their pity. I knew that they would all eventually know about my mother ditching me, but no one knew about my father yet. And I wanted to keep it that way. I didn't want any more pity then I was already getting.

After a minute, I calmed myself down and walked back into the house. I could hear all the Cullen's in the living room along with the Hale's laughing at something Emmett had just said. I wished I could have a family like that. One that actually cared.

I walked back into the living room and stood in the doorway for a moment, admiring the scene that was set ahead of me.

"Have a seat, Bells!" Emmett said suddenly. "We don't bite."

I smiled at him. I didn't know if he could see it was a sad smile. "Actually, I just came into say that my dad wants me home, so I've got to go. Thank you so much for having me. And it was lovely meeting you all." I tried to smile more genuinely.

"It was lovely meeting you too!" Esme said. "Please, come back soon."

I smiled at her, not making any promises.

"Do you need a ride?" Alice asked.

"Uhh, no, it's fine. It's not that far of a walk." I said, backing up slowly.

"Nonsense!" Carlisle said, looking over at Edward. "Edward, give Bella a ride home."

"It's really okay, I don't want to-"

"You are not imposing." Edward said with a smile as he got up. "It's not a problem at all. I love driving."

I sighed. "Ok, thanks."

I waved once more at everyone as I followed Edward out the door. He led me to his shiny Volvo and opened the door for me again. I smiled to myself as I slid in.

After Edward got the car going and started heading down the serpent like driveway, I spoke.

"You have a great family, Edward. You're very blessed."

He smiled. "Thank you. I knew they would love you."

I smiled. "They are truly wonderful. Your mom is incredible."

I don't know why I suddenly felt the urge to tell him everything, but I wanted to. I wanted to tell him about my mother, about how she just up and left one day. I wanted to tell him about my alcoholic father and how I'm the only adult around in my household.

I don't know why I wanted to, but I just knew that I did. So I got the guts up and decided it was time to tell him about my mother.

"It makes me wonder if my mom would have been that incredible."

Edward didn't say anything for a moment. He just looked at me out of the corner of his eye. Then he leaned forward and turned the radio off, which had been playing quietly since we got in the car.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly, though he didn't sound surprised.

I sighed. "My mother, Renee…well she left me and my father when I was a young girl. I was only in fifth grade. I just remember walking inside the house one day after school to see my dad sitting on the couch clutching a note. I asked him what was wrong, but he didn't say anything. He just put the note down on the coffee table, stood up, patted me on the head, and then walked into the kitchen. I grabbed the note, wondering what it said. And the words on it broke my heart." My voice started to falter, so I took a deep breath. "It said 'I can't do this anymore. I need my own life. I've met someone else. Keep the kid. I don't want to be a mother.'

"That note completely broke my heart. My mommy didn't want me. So to this day, part of me blames myself for her leaving. I don't know what I did, but I must have done something."

I stopped talking and looked over at Edward's face. We were pulling into my driveway by this point. He parked the car and then looked over at me.

There was no pity on his face as he spoke. "I am so sorry. That was a cruel thing for your mother to do."

I looked at him for a moment and knew there was something wrong. There was no shock on his face when I told him, as there had been on everyone else's faces when they found out.

"You knew." I accused.

He nodded. "Yes. I found out right before you walked into the diner this morning."

I was surprised that I felt no hostility towards him for knowing. I didn't care at this point who told him or why he didn't tell me that he knew sooner. All I was registering at this point was that he knew, and he didn't act any differently. He didn't show me any pity.

"Thank you." I said quietly.

This time, he looked shocked. "For what?"

I smiled. "For not acting any different and for not showing me pity. That's the last thing I want."

He smiled at me and in a sweet gesture, he reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze. I was shocked by the electric like shock that passed through me. He felt it too. His eyes widened slightly and he looked up at me, smiling slightly.

"Huh." He mused.

I blushed. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner. I had a lovely time."

He squeezed my hand once more and then let go. "You're welcome. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Sounds good. Bye."

I got out of the car quickly then, remembering the real world that was waiting outside Edward's car. I knew Charlie was waiting inside the door, and my stomach turned at the thought of what was waiting for me.

I carefully put my key in the lock and unlocked the door. I opened it quietly in case Charlie was still sensitive to the noise. I peeked around the corner and saw him eating his dinner at the kitchen table while reading the newspaper. And, as per usual, there was an open beer bottle right next to his plate.

"I'm home, Dad." I said quietly.

He jumped slightly and turned around. "Good. Next time ask before you go out."

"Yes sir." I replied.

He got up slowly, grabbing his beer. "I'm going to go watch the rest of the game. Clean this up for me."

I sighed as I watched him walk past me without even glancing at me and walk into the living room. He turned the TV up, as if to tell me silently not to bother saying anything because he wouldn't listen. I sighed and walked into the kitchen, putting his dishes in the sink and letting them soak in the water. I cleaned up a few other small messes around the room that he had made and then walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm going to bed, dad. Goodnight."

He just looked over at me and then back at the table, taking a big swig of his beer.

As I started up the stairs, I lost my footing and came tumbling down from halfway up.

I yelped on the way down, landing on my back hard. Tears filled my eyes as I winced.

"Bella?" I heard Charlie say. He walked over to me quickly and began helping me up. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I looked up at him and for the moment, he was my dad. The dad that made me the sick island all those years ago. The dad that wasn't a drunk. A dad that acted like he loved me. His eyes were the same pure color blue they had been all those years ago.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." I said quietly.

He let go of me once I regained my balance. "Well, be more careful." He said gruffly. He then walked back over to the couch and took another swig of his beer. Drunken Charlie was back.

But at least now I knew that there was hope for Charlie. He was still in there somewhere. I just needed to figure out how to reach him again.


	8. Chapter Seven: Always Near By

Chapter Seven: Always Near By

I had to get up early again on Sunday morning. I had to work from 8 till 1, which was nothing I was looking forward to. Everyone always knew me at work. Whenever I came up to the table, people would say "Well look who we have here! The police chief's daughter!" And each time that happened, I had to resist the urge to yell out that my name was Bella. It was frustrating.

But, as usual, Joan let me keep my large cup of coffee on the counter and I got to get a drink whenever I came back. Sometimes, I would leave my cup almost empty and when I'd come back, it would be full again, already ready with two creams and two sugars. And whenever I asked Joan about it, she would claim she had no idea what I was talking about.

I was in the kitchen at the end of my shift (around 12:50), grabbing a few other orders that I had to get out when Joan walked into the kitchen.

"Bella, we've got a big group that just came in. Can you get their drink orders all set up and then I'll take care of the rest? You're off after that."

I nodded. "Yup, no problem." I walked out of the kitchen, took the last sip of my coffee and looked around, finding the big group. And of course, it was the entire Cullen family along with the Hale's. Now that I'd met them, they always seem to be around.

"Bells!" I heard Emmett shout as he saw me approach.

"Hey guys." I said with a smile on my face as I walked up behind Alice's chair. "How are you all doing today?" I asked.

Everyone gave a normal response of "good" or "fine."

Alice smiled at me, her energy much too high as usual. "What time are you on till?" She asked with a mischievous glint to her eye.

I looked at the clock. "I'm leaving in about…10 minutes. I have to take your drink order, clean up the drink station a little bit, and then I get to go home and eat." I said with a laugh. "So, what can I get you all to drink?" I asked, getting out my pad and pencil.

Edward gave a little nod to Alice. "I'll have a water with lemon and a coke." He said with confidence.

I went around the table, taking everyone else's drink orders.

"Alright, I'll bring those right out and then Joan will be out to take your food order."

"Thank you, sweetie." Esme said with a sweet smile.

I nodded and then went back to the kitchen, grabbing everyone's drinks. I brought them out and then began carefully putting the correct drinks by the correct person.

"Ok, Bells, I need your help. I don't know what to get." Emmett said as he looked through his menu.

"Well my personal favorite is the grilled ham and cheese with French fries, but that's always been one of my favorite foods." I said with a shrug.

Emmett nodded. "That does sound really good…" he trailed off, looking through the menu.

I smiled. "Well, I've got to go finish up a few things, and then I'm out of here. I'm sure I'll see you all soon."

"See you in a bit, Bella." Alice said with a smirk.

I glanced at her curiously as I walked over to the bar area and started cleaning the sticky areas from spilled drinks on the counter. As I was doing so, I watched Joan go over to the Cullen's and take their orders.

As soon as I was done with that, I grabbed my bag from under the bar and quickly went to the bathroom to change my clothing. I hated walking home in my waitressing outfit. I had just brought a simple pair of jeans and a light blue long sleeved shirt along with my converses. Figuring that would be comfortable enough to walk home in.

As I walked out of the bathroom, I saw Emmett standing up and waving at me, trying to get my attention. As I walked over, I saw that there was now a chair open next to Edward that was not there before. I narrowed my eyes.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Esme smiled at me. "We were wondering if you would join us."

I smiled back about to refuse, when Alice said "And don't bother even saying that you don't want to intrude, because you're not."

I laughed slightly. "Are you sure? I don't have any money, so…" I trailed off, hoping this would give me an automatic out.

Carlisle shook his head. "Don't even worry about that, Bella. I've got it covered."

I sighed, looking at this beautiful happy family, and decided I couldn't refuse. This was as close to a family as I was going to get.

"Alright. Thank you very much."

Everyone smiled at me as I took my seat between Edward and Jasper. Alice was positively glowing across from me, smiling so widely that I wondered if it hurt.

The conversation at lunch was casual. I loved watching Edward, Alice, and Emmett poke fun at each other. They always had a way to one up each other, and it made me laugh. I wish I could have had a sibling. Maybe life would be easier if so.

"So Bella, what do you plan to do next year?" Rosalie asked me.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, I want to go into English and one day, I would like to be a professor." I said with a shrug.

"That's great. Where do you plan to go?"

Well I've filled out a few applications. There are a few universities I'm looking at in Phoenix, Northwestern University, and a few schools in Washington of course. It just depends where I get accepted to."

This led to a long conversation about colleges and where Alice, Edward, and I were all planning on going. It made me happy to know they had applied to a few of the same colleges I had.

By the time we had all finished eating and talking, it was nearly four.

The Cullen's paid the bill and left a very generous tip for Joan. I smiled. It was people like them that made a waitress continue doing their job.

I said goodbye and thanked the Cullen's and somehow managed to sneak out without having one of them offer to give me a ride home. I liked to walk actually. It gave me time to clear my head.

So with my bag on my shoulder, I walked out the door quietly, smiling at the Cullen's one more time as I left.

So much had changed since this Friday. It's hard to believe that just a few days ago; I was living in a haze, going through the motions of my life, but not really living it. And even though I wasn't completely…living it yet, I was better than I was. The Cullen's were an amazing family.

I couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like had Renee stayed. Would we of ever had a chance of being happy? Would we of ever gone out together as a family to get breakfast? Would we ever of had family dinners around the table just talking about our lives? Could we have ever of been truly happy?

Or would we have been miserable as I was now. Would Charlie still have been an alcoholic? Would Renee have been a horrible mother, out having affairs with the "someone else" that she met? Would they both leave me at home alone so much that it felt as though I was already on my own, as it did now? Would I be the one who always had to pick of the pieces of my family after they fell? Could I even have rightfully applied the word family to what we would have been? Was I just…destined to be miserable?

I didn't realize the sobbing noise was coming from me until I realized I was shaking so hard that I couldn't walk. I stopped at a nearby park that was deserted due to the colder weather and sat on the bench, allowing myself for once to completely break down and cry. I didn't let my emotions completely take me away when I knew there was a chance someone would see me. That would ruin the whole happy act that I had worked so hard to build up. And I couldn't let that happen.

But I wasn't all that surprised when I sensed a presence behind me. I felt the person sit down beside me and put his hand on top of mine, and by the electric shock that seemed to combust because of the contact, I knew that my suspicions were confirmed.

Edward had found me. Like I said, now that I knew them, they were always there.

"Bella, look at me." He said quietly. His voice was so soft and concerned that I couldn't help but acquiesce his request.

His eyes were full of concern. He looked straight into my eyes, and he truly looked troubled by what he saw there. He grimaced.

"Talk to me, Bella. Tell me what happened."

I started crying even harder, touched by how much this Adonis, this boy I had met only a few days ago, cared. He cared about me, something I wasn't used to.

I looked up at him, wanting to tell him about me more than ever, but I couldn't find the courage to tell him the whole truth. So I decided I would tell him what I could.

"I want a family, Edward." I said so quietly. "You are so blessed to have a wonderful family. I would do anything to have a mother like Esme, someone who calls me sweetie and rubs my head when I lean on her shoulder. I only experienced the half ass attempts my mother gave me as a child when I took everything for granted. I didn't realize that when I got home one day, she wouldn't be there anymore. And my dad, he is so hurt but why my mother did, he can't even trust me to come home sometimes. I just…" I trailed off, unsure of what else to say. I couldn't say much more without revealing everything.

Edward looked saddened by what I said, but I saw no pity in his stare. "You're right. I am very blessed to have the family I have. My mother and my father are the best parents I could have ever asked for. And what your mother did to you is awful. And she deserves every ounce of hate and resentment you feel towards her. You don't deserve this, Bella. You don't deserve the pain of this. You're too good of a person."

I started shaking my head. "No, I'm not." I said quietly.

He pulled my chin back up so that I was looking at him. "Stop that, Bella. You are an amazing person and you deserve to be happy."

I wiped my face, getting rid of the tear stains I knew were there. "Thank you, Edward. You're a good person. You sit here listening to the ramblings of a girl you just met." I said with a giggle.

He laughed. "Come on, Bella. I'll take you home."

He pulled me up of the bench and led me to his shiny Volvo that was parked a few feet away. He held my hand until I was sitting down in the seat.


	9. Chapter Eight: Breaking Point

Chapter Eight: Breaking Point

A week had passed since that day with Edward in the park. And honestly, I spent a majority of it with the Cullen's. Alice and Edward always found a way to include me in whatever was happening at the Cullen house. On Wednesday, they actually invited me to go up to Port Angeles with them to go eat at some random restaurant they had seen once while down here scoping out houses. And when I tried to pay my own tab, I was glared at by four sets of beautiful eyes.

By Friday, I found myself wanting to be with them more because they made me feel like a normal girl with a normal family. But every night when I went home to my drunken father, I knew that my reality was always lurking behind me, waiting to explode in my face. Charlie was getting more and more fed up with me being with the Cullen's all the time. I had somehow managed to avoid telling him the name of the family I had been spending so much time with. I wanted to keep the Cullen's away from so he didn't taint them. The Cullen's were my happy place, and I didn't want this Charlie involved in that.

Either way, he was getting upset that I wasn't home to clean up his latest messes, whether it was his vomit or the last meal he had just eaten. I got frustrated with him easier now, but I had somehow managed to keep my cool and act normal.

It was Saturday now, and I had just gotten out of work (my shift went from 11-6). As usual, I changed in the bathroom at Joan's so I could comfortably walk home. My truck was still on the fritz and I hadn't gotten around to calling up Jacob Black, Billy's son, to fix it up for me.

It was a somewhat pleasant day out. It wasn't hot or anything, but it was warm enough to walk home without freezing my butt of and the sun was shining clear in the sky.

Who knew the storm would be waiting for me when I got home?

As I walked in the door, I saw Charlie in his normal hangover position, sprawled out on the couch. I sighed as I brought him his aspirin and a glass of water. He glared at me as I set them down next to him.

"Where have you been?" He asked sternly, sitting up.

"Work, dad. But I'm leaving again in a few minutes to go to a friend's house for dinner. I'll be back by 7." Rosalie had invited me over this time. She and Emmett came home for the weekend while Alice and Edward went out on a college visit. I was a little nervous to be going there without Edward or Alice, but I figured it would be okay.

He glared at me. "Who are these damn people anyways?" He barked at me. "You're always with them now."

"They're just some friends from school dad. And of course I'm spending time with them. We're very close."

I was getting fed up with his attitude, but I figured that leaving would do the trick. By the time I got home, he'd be so immersed in his game that he wouldn't care where I had been. He'd just ask me to make him a sandwich and that would be that.

But that's when he would say the one thing that would break the camel's back. That's when he said the one thing that would make me reach my breaking point.

He glared at me again, no trace of the Charlie I knew in his eyes.

"You're just like your damn mother. If you're going to leave, then get the heck out now and don't bother coming back."

I stared at him stunned. I couldn't believe what he just said to me. It hurt worse than a slap in the face would have.

I grabbed the remote from his hand and turned the TV off. Then I chucked the remote at the wall.

"Hey!" Charlie yelled.

"I am nothing like my mother you bastard." I said to him. He froze and just stared at me.

"You watch what you say young lady. I'm your father."

"No, you're not! If you were my father, you would actually give a damn about me. You would be the one taking care of me, not the other way around. Ever since Renee left, all you do is drink your troubles away. News flash, Charlie! She left both of us! Did you ever think about how I feel about it? About how I feel about having a mother who didn't want me and a father who apparently doesn't either? You just told me to leave and never come back because I'm out trying to be happy, but I can't ever be happy because I know what waits for me when I get home. My drunken father."

I was crying by this point, but I was so fired up that I couldn't stop myself.

"She left both of us." I repeated. "But at least I'm out in the world trying to make the best of life, unlike you! All you do is go to work, come home, and drink. And then you expect me to clean up the mess! But that's supposed to be your job, Charlie. You're supposed to clean up the messes and teach me how to. But you haven't done shit since she left. I've had to grow up by myself since that day in 5th grade. That's almost 8 years of me growing up without you. Because you haven't been there. And what I don't understand is why I keep coming home to clean everything up for you. I don't understand why I actually cover for you and try to salvage your reputation. I hate being known as the Police Chief's daughter because I know that it's not a good thing."

He sat there, not saying a word, but looking at me with somewhat clear eyes.

"Look at me Charlie. I'm not a little girl you can brush off anymore. I'm not a little girl you can lie to. I know that my mother cheated on you. I know that she didn't want me, that she referred to me as "the kid." You missed everything, Charlie. You are not my father. You were once, but you aren't anymore. And guess what?"I said as I grabbed my cell phone and my jacket that I had placed on a nearby chair. "I'm going to grant your wish. I'm out of here. Have fun with your bottle."

I turned around and ran from the house, my feet taking me somewhere my mind couldn't comprehend yet. I wasn't surprised when I ended up at the Cullen's house 20 minutes later, out of breath with a red and blotchy face.

I ran to the door and rang the doorbell.

A very smiley Emmett answered the door, but the smile disappeared as he registered the look on my face.

"Bells? What the hell happened?" He demanded.

I started sobbing again, and he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into the house.

"Esme! Carlisle! Come here! I need you!"

I heard feet pounding around the house and then a surprised feminine gasp. I looked up and through my blurred vision, I saw Esme staring at me, her breathtaking face distressed.

"Oh, goodness!" She said as she ran to me, pulling me from Emmett's embrace and escorting me into the living room. She sat me down on the love seat.

And then something happened that I had been yearning for since that day in 5th grade. Esme pulled me into her embrace, pulling my head down to her shoulder, and stroked my hair with a loving caress.

"Shh, it's okay sweetie. I'm here, its okay." She said as she stroked my head.

And I knew she was right.

I heard Carlisle walk in and sit on the coffee table in front of us, taking my hand in his as Esme continued to hold me.

"What time did Edward say they would be back?" I heard Emmett ask from the doorway.

Carlisle answered him. "Around 8. They were only there for one night."

"Come on dear." Esme said, standing me up. My sobbing had calmed down slightly so I could walk without falling over.

Esme led me up the stairs and to a room all the way over on the other side of the house, keeping her arm around me the entire time. She opened a door for me, leading me into a room that was only lit by the evening sun coming in the huge window. The room was overall very neat, only a few random articles of clothing lying in various locations around the room. There was a large bed in the middle of a room, pushed up against the back wall, and a black couch that was pushed up against the window. There were stacks and stacks of CDs on the opposite side of the room from the couch. There was also a very expensive looking stereo system next to the CDs.

And lying across the floor next to the CDs was a flannel shirt that looked awfully familiar. And I knew instantly that it was Edward's room.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home." Esme said as she gave me a kiss on the forehead. "When you're ready, you can come talk to me or Carlisle or anyone about what happened that made you so upset." She gave me one last squeeze before she walked out, leaving me alone in Edward's room.

I walked over to the couch, deciding it looked comfortable, and curled up in the corner, wishing more than anything that Edward was here now. He somehow always knew what to say and what to do to calm me down. They calm way he always acted was comforting to me, and I needed that right now. And I wanted him to be the first one I told everything to. He deserved to be.

As I stared out his window, watching the sun go down slowly, I wondered what Charlie was doing right now. Was he actually taking into consideration what I had said to him? Or was he just drinking even more now because he knows he lost mom and may lose me too? Or did he even care? Was I just an annoyance in his life that he was happy to be rid of? Did he even remember that I was gone?

My heart broke as I thought of that last possibility being true. I had always told myself that even though he drank all the time and acted as though he didn't care, inside, he really did. I just figured if I ever really needed him, he would always be there. But he didn't say a word as I ran from the door. He didn't even try to stop me, didn't even say anything.

My sobbing started up once again as I pondered this. Why did my mom have to be so selfish? Why did my dad have to choose the bottle as a way of drowning his problems?

I heard talking in the hallway.

"Come on mom. Just let me go talk to her. Bells loves me." I heard Emmett say.

"Emmett, leave her alone. Trust me, I'm a mom. I know that right now she needs time to think. Plus, we all know that…" Esme started whispering after that, so I couldn't hear what she was saying.

I pulled my legs up to my chest, holding them there as I put my back up against the arm rest, facing away from the door and looking out the window.

I don't know how long I sat there in the dark before I heard someone quietly entering the room. I didn't look up, just kept staring out the window.

I didn't look up when someone sat down on the couch with me either, but I knew who it was. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the side of my face. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, just sat there staring at me while I stared out the window.

After a few moments, he reached forward and touched my cheek, turning it in his direction so that my eyes were locked onto his. He must have seen the devastation in my eyes, because he gasped quietly.

"Bella, what happened? Talk to me." He begged.

I looked into his eyes and found the confidence that I needed to speak. He would understand. He had to understand.

"It's…hard for me to talk about." I said quietly.

He reached out and grabbed my waist pulling me to him. He had one leg up on the couch and the other was flopped lazily on the ground off to the side. I was now sitting between his legs.

"Tell me." He said quietly. "You can tell me anything, Bella. I'll never judge you. I promise."

I looked back down at my hands, knowing he was right. I could trust him.

"Well, there's more to the story then my mom just leaving. My dad…was never really there either." I said quietly.

Edward gave me a very strange look. "Have you been living on your own this entire time, Bella?" Edward asked, looking concerned.

I realized how he must have construed my words, and started talking immediately.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that. He's been there. Every day when I come home from school or work, he's there. He just…hasn't been there for me since my mom left."I said as I looked back out the window.

Edward was silent as I thought about what I was going to say and how I wanted to say it.

"I remember the first time I saw Charlie drunk." I began. I looked back up at Edward, and noticed that his eyebrows were raised. "I was still in fifth grade. It wasn't even a full week after Renee had left. I had just gotten dropped off by the bus and I walked inside the house. I expected to see Charlie as he normally was when I got home. Sitting on the couch, a soda in hand, watching a game. He'd ask me how my day was, acting like he was so proud when I handed him my 100% on a spelling test. Well that day, he wasn't waiting for me. He was in the kitchen with an open bottle of something I had only ever seen mommy and daddy use on special occasions." I sneered on the words mommy and daddy, remembering a time when I actually looked at them in that light.

"But when they drank it on special occasions, it was in tiny glasses, and they'd only have one or two. That day, he just drank out of the bottle. He didn't use a glass. And when I came in, brandishing a 100% I had gotten on my math test, he just took the paper and threw it behind him onto the table. I was so upset. I didn't know why daddy wasn't proud of his little girl for doing so well. I asked him why he was acting funny. He didn't answer me. He just walked away, bottle in hand, and went to sit on the couch. I don't think I've ever seen him since then without him being drunk or hungover.

"Tonight, it was the usual thing." I said while a tear ran down my cheek. I quickly brushed it away. "I came home to see him lying on the couch, his arm covering his eyes to block out the sunlight because he was so hungover. But this time, he told me I was going out too much. And then he had the damn nerve to compare me with my mother. I am nothing like my mother. I would never leave my family like that, just up and leave my daughter like that. I am nothing like her. And for him to compare me to her…it broke my heart. I've tried so hard to make sure that no one would ever relate me to the woman that I am ashamed to call my mother. And he completely ruined that for me."

Edward sat quietly while I finished my story, and didn't say anything for a few moments after. I waited for him to say something, anything, to let me know that he understood, or would at least try to.

Right when I was about to get desperate and beg him to say something, he finally spoke.

"I don't know your mother." Edward began quietly. "But I do know you. And I know that you're a wonderful girl. You're strong and smart. You're sweet and so damn stubborn. But you're not a quitter. You put everyone else before you. You are so selfless that even though it hurt you, you let your father grieve for about eight years for something that you never got the opportunity to grieve for."

His words made me tear up. He was so sweet and kind that it made my heart swell.

"And Bella, I can tell you right now, that you are nothing like your mother."

And with those words, I cracked. Even though, like he said, he didn't know my mom, his words reassured me. I leaned into him, sobbing, and just like I had always hoped for, he leaned forward and put his arms around me, holding me close.

"Thank you." I sobbed. "Thank you so much."

He rubbed my back as he held me, not saying anything. But I felt the support in his touch. I knew that he understood and that he accepted it.


	10. Chapter Nine: The True Meaning of Family

Chapter Nine: The True Meaning of Family

I don't know how long we sat there, me sobbing on Edward's shoulder-ruining his shirt in the process-until we heard a quiet knock on the door.

Edward looked at me, as if confirming it was ok for someone else to enter, and when I didn't object, he disconnected himself from me and said "Come in."

It was Esme and Alice, both looking very concerned. I stood up as they entered the room

Alice, looking at me with saddened eyes, quickly ran over to me and nearly knocked me over with a very forceful hug.

"Bella are you ok? I've been worried about you since I heard you came here upset about something, and I wanted to come up here right away, but my mom thought it would be better for you if Edward came up first, and I would have tried to get up here if Emmett hadn't put me in a headlock, demanding that I give you two space, but I was so worried!"

Alice's eyes were wide and sincere, making me realize how much I loved this family.

"I'm fine, Alice. There was just a big problem at home and I didn't know anywhere else to go, so I just came here." My cell phone started vibrating in my pocket, so I pulled it out as I continued to speak. "I hope you don't mind Esme, but I was wondering if…I…could…" I trailed off as I looked at the caller ID on my phone. It was Charlie.

"Edward? Can you explain what happened to them while I take this? It's uh…Charlie."

His eyes narrowed as he nodded, and then I exited the room as he began my tale.

I stood in the hall way on the opposite side of where his room was, awkwardly answering my phone.

"What?" I asked with venom in my voice.

"Bella? Where are you?" He demanded.

"It's none of your business, Charlie. I'm not coming home."

"It is my business, Bella. I'm your father whether you like it or not." His voice was subdued.

"Stop it! I have more of a family where I'm at now than I've ever had with you! I'll come home when I'm ready, but I need time. And you need to figure out what's more important, me or a bottle. So until you figure that out, leave me alone." I hung up quickly then and turned my phone off. I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers and cursed under by breath. Then I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder and I turned around, startled, to see Carlisle.

There was no pity in his eyes, only compassion. He had heard what happened during my phone conversation. He knew.

"Come, Bella. Let's have a talk in my office." He said with a reassuring smile on his face.

I nodded, letting him lead me into the door by which I was talking. His office was very homey looking. There were books everywhere, making it look more like a library than an office. The desk had papers strewn on top of it in what looked like an organized mess. In front of the desk, there were two leather chairs. He led me to one of them and, after I sat down, he walked around to the other side of his desk and sat down.

"I'm not going to lie and say I didn't hear what you just said on the phone to your father." He said without buildup. "Is your father an alcoholic, Bella?"

I nodded. "That's what I consider him."

"What does everyone else say? Like your family and friends?"

I shrugged. "The only family I have is my dad. My mom left when I was younger. Didn't Edward tell you?"

Carlisle shook his head slowly. "He mentioned that you had a rough time in your past, but he never told us any details. He wouldn't betray your trust like that." He said simply.

"Oh." I said as I tried to figure out what I had done in life that let me deserve a friend like Edward. "Well, she did. And I haven't talked to her since, so she obviously doesn't know. And Charlie doesn't drink in Forks unless he's at our house. Whenever he goes to Billy Black's house, he's sober so he can fish and not get caught by Billy. So no one knows, unless you count the people in Port Angeles he gets drunk with as friends."

Carlisle thought about it for a moment. "How long have you been keeping this a secret?" He asked seriously.

I sighed, tearing up again. "Since that day I came home from school in 5th grade."

Carlisle's eye's narrowed. "He's been drinking like this since 5th grade? With a daughter to take care of?"

I swallowed. "Yes. I took care of myself." I said quietly.

Carlisle stood. "Not anymore. You're just a young girl. You're still in high school for goodness sake!" He walked around to where I was standing. "Don't worry, Bella. I'm going to do what I can for you and your father. Stay here for a moment." He walked out the door quickly, shutting it behind him.

A minute later, he walked back in with Esme at his side. She sat down in the leather chair next to me while Carlisle stood behind her.

"Bella, dear, Edward explained the situation to me. And Carlisle and I just talked and we want to know if you would stay with us?" Esme asked.

I was speechless, completely dumfounded by their generosity.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes." Carlisle answered. "We have a lot of extra space. You wouldn't have to worry about a thing. Please. Let us do this for you. It's time you had someone take care of you."

I sighed. "I would love to stay here. Thank you so much."

Esme smiled lovingly at me. "You don't have to thank us, dear. It's our pleasure to help you. Whatever you need, just ask." She reached forward and gave my hand a pat. "Now, I'm going to go get dinner finished up. You can go freshen up in the bathroom if you'd like." She leaned forward, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and then walked out of the room.

Once she was gone, Carlisle cleared his throat, turning my attention back to him.

"I know that you may not want to talk about this right now, but I just would like to know what you are going to do about Charlie." He asked as he took the seat Esme had been sitting in.

I thought about it for a moment, deciding. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I should do anything. Charlie is a stubborn man. He won't do anything he doesn't want to do." I kept speaking quietly, getting my thoughts out there. "I would love to get him into rehab so maybe, one day my real dad will come back to me. The one that loves me. But he has to do it for himself, because he wants to. Because he realizes it's right for him. I know that I should try to do something for him…but I don't know what."

Carlisle sighed. "Honestly, Bella, what you did today may be all you could do. You gave him the wakeup call that he needed."

"But I walked out on him. What if that just makes him worse? The reason he drinks so much is because someone walked out on him. I mean, what if he starts drinking more? If he dies…" My voice cracked on the word. "It will be my entire fault."

Carlisle shook his head. "No, it will not be. All you did tonight was give him the initiative to get better. And you're right. It's up to him now. He won't get better unless he wants to. So we just have to wait now."

I put my head into my hands and sighed.

"You can stay with us as long as you need to, Bella. Don't worry about anything but yourself for a while. You deserve it." Carlisle said in a caring voice. "I'm going to go help Esme. Why don't you go find Alice and Edward? I'm sure Alice has been waiting outside since you came in." He said with a chuckle. He patted my head and then walked out the door. I listened to his footsteps as he descended the stairs.

There was so much that I needed to do. I had never been good at worrying about myself. Since I didn't really have parents, I had to take care of them and myself. I was the parent. Charlie was the child. And a parent should always put their children first, so that's what I did. That was my mind set. My own needs and wants never mattered to me. I kept myself fed and bathed, but I was always cleaning up Charlie's messes. I didn't have time to make my own.

I need to get clothing. I needed to talk to Joan and ask her if I could get a few days off so I could get my head on straight and figure everything out. I needed to find a way to keep tabs on Charlie without having to actually be in contact with him.

I stood up slowly and walked out of the room, my mind anywhere but here. But as soon as I was in the hallway, I was again hug attacked by Alice.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. What Charlie has done is…horrible. But it will get better now." She said with a reassuring smile.

I bit my lip. "I hope so." I said.

"It will." She said with conviction. "Anyways, mom said you're going to be staying with us for a while. I'm going to get the guest room all set up for you after dinner. I have a lot of extra sheets that I'm sure you'll like. And I've got plenty of cloths that you can borrow. I'm pretty sure we're about the same size, so it shouldn't be a big deal."

I sighed. "You don't have to worry about that stuff, Alice. I'm sure any sheets you have will be fine, and I'm going to find a way to get some clothes soon, hopefully."

She smiled at me sweetly. "Well, until then, my closet is open." She gave me another hug and then skipped down the stairs.

I sighed as I watched her. She was as optimistic as ever, not letting anything trouble her. I knew I could never reach that level of optimism. I was too much of a realist.

I started walking towards the bathroom at the other end of the hall, near Edward's bedroom, when his door opened.

He smiled at me sadly while he walked toward me. His eyes were so intense and they were studying my face, trying to figure out how I was feeling.

"I'm alright, I promise. I won't ruin anymore of your shirts." I tried to smile at him to lighten the mood.

"I couldn't care less about my shirts, Bella. You can ruin all of them for all I care. My shoulder and my shirts are always open to you." He said seriously.

"Thank you, Edward. For everything. You have been so…understanding. No matter what I've told you, you haven't judged me or treated me any differently."

He smiled at me and reached out to brush the hair out of my face. "Don't thank me. I'm glad that you gave me the chance to be there for you." He smiled a genuine smile at me, and my heart melted a little bit. "Come on." He said, grabbing my hand. "Let's go eat dinner."

**Hey everyone! I hope your enjoying it so far. I know this chapter wasn't the best, but there ya go. I'll have another chapter up by tonight or tomorrow sometime! Review! 3**


	11. Chapter Ten: Smile

Chapter Ten: Smile

I was afraid living with the Cullen's would be uncomfortable, seeing as I wasn't a Cullen. The first night at dinner was a bit uncomfortable for me at the start. I didn't know what to do now that I was living there. In the back of my mind, I knew that I was over reacting. The Cullen's had always been accepting of me and had never made me uncomfortable before while I was in there home.

The dinner started off tense and awkward. I didn't know if it was like that for everyone, but it was like that for me. By this point everyone knew what was going on, including Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper. I was sitting in between Edward and Emmett. Edward was sitting quietly while Emmett was yelling.

"Mom! Is the grub ready yet? I'm starving!"

Esme laughed from the kitchen. "Yes Emmett, the "grub" is ready." She said as she walked into the room, Carlisle trailing her. They were both carrying bowls of something that smelled delicious.

I watched as they set the food down on the table carefully, peeking into the bowls once I could see the inside. In one, there was fettuccini alfredo with grilled chicken. In another, there were fresh baked biscuits that looked incredible. In the last, there was a salad with Italian dressing on it. Overall, the meal looked amazing and the smell left my mouth watering.

As soon as the food started being served, casual conversations broke out around the table. Alice and Jasper began discussing what they were going to do after dinner. Emmett was chowing everything down so quickly, so Rosalie was glaring at him while rolling her eyes. Carlisle and Esme were speaking very quietly and it was obvious they didn't want anyone to hear. My stomach turned a little when I realized that it was most likely about me.

I suddenly felt a hand on my knee under the table. I looked over to see Edward staring at me, concerned.

"Relax, Bella. No one here is judging you. Carlisle and Esme are discussing what they want to do for their anniversary coming up next weekend. It's nothing about you." He whispered.

I smiled at him. It's weird how well he seemed to know what I was thinking or what I was stressing about.

He squeezed my knee. "Relax." He said quietly. He then turned back to his meal and began eating again…without removing his hand from my knee.

Right. Like I could relax with his hand on my knee.

I started eating my food carefully, not wanting to look like a pig. All the while, I was acutely aware of Edward's hand on my knee, burning a hole through my jeans. I took a sip of my water and glanced around the table, trying to center myself. _It's just the Cullens._ I reminded myself. No one was even looking at me as I glanced around the table. Everyone was off in their own little worlds, and that was fine with me. I hated calling attention to myself.

After we finished dinner, Emmett decided it was time that we watch a movie. I smiled at his enthusiasm. He reminded me of a child at times. He was so exuberant.

Everyone walked into the living room, discussing what movie we should watch.

Edward walked right behind me, his hand lightly touching the small of my back. I smiled internally. Even though this day had been…horrible, the Cullen's had been the silver lining, especially Edward. He led me towards the love seat where there was just enough room for two.

Carlisle and Esme said that they had other things to do and slipped out of the room quietly.

"What should we watch?" Emmett asked as he plopped himself down in front of the DVD rack that they had.

"Nothing scary." Alice demanded.

"I second that." I said quickly. I hated scary.

Emmett frowned. "You two are party poopers. Okay then…funny? I'm not watching a chick flick."

"I'm okay with funny." I said.

"We watched a comedy last time, Emmett." Alice whined. "It's either a chick flick or something serious."

Emmett sighed. "Fine, something serious. I don't think I could handle a chick flick tonight."

Emmett started looking through the rack of movies, taking out random ones for us to choose from. "Okay, we have…The Blind Side…Remember the Titans…or…We Are Marshall."

"What with all the football films, Emmett?" Rosalie asked.

"Hey, she wants serious, then it's at least gotta have some sports in it." Emmett said seriously.

After a quick vote, we decided on Remember the Titans. I had always enjoyed this movie, even though I always teared up at points.

I watched as Emmett got up from his spot on the ground and put the DVD in. He grabbed the remote and stood, walking over to the light switch and turned off the lights. I was suddenly very aware of Edward's presence. Esme walked in then with a bowl of popcorn and a few sodas. She seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted. She handed me and Edward a Coke, Alice a Dr. Pepper, Jasper and Emmett a Mountain Dew, and Rosalie a Diet coke.

We all settled in to watch the movie. Jasper and Alice curled up on the floor together while Emmett lay on the couch with Rosalie tucked into his side. Edward and I sat somewhat awkwardly on the love seat with a little space in between us. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye to see that he was also glancing at me. I blushed and looked away quickly while he chuckled.

As the movie started, my mind started going off. Edward had been touching me a lot lately. He always found a way to touch my hand or my knee. Did that mean something? Or was I reading too much into it? Was I getting myself worked up for something that wasn't going to happen?

I realized then that I really did like Edward…a lot more than I was willing to admit. I didn't like to fall for people. I mean, I tried the whole "relationship" thing once before with Jacob, but it was too awkward. We were only friends, and we both knew that. We tried to kiss once, but that ended in us laughing hysterically. We knew it wasn't right.

But with Edward, it felt right. Whenever he touched me, it was like a fire or an electric spark shot through my body. It was so intense that it almost hurt. I couldn't be completely sure if he felt it too. He acted like he did sometimes, but then again he could have just been being kind. He knew the hard time I had been going through so maybe he was just comforting me.

I was well on my way to convincing myself to just forget about it and just be complacent with being his friend when Edward lifted up his arm and, very nonchalant like, put it around my shoulder. I stiffened slightly but didn't move. I didn't even look at him.

He leaned his head towards me slightly. "Is this okay?" He whispered.

I bit my lip and instead of answering, I leaned my head on his shoulder and sighed. I felt him relax and pull his arm closer around me. He sighed in contentment, and I felt safe and comforted. Edward always made me feel like that.

As the movie went on, Edward and I didn't move an inch. He held me the whole movie while I snuggled into him, enjoying the warmth and comfort that he provided. I closed my eyes, basking in the way I felt, memorizing it for when the real world came back around and smacked me back into my life.

When the credits started rolling Edward and I noticed that everyone around us was sound asleep or at least dozed. He smiled down at me.

"Tired?" he asked.

I yawned, and he chuckled. "Yes. It's been a very long day."

He gave me a half smile. "Then let's get you up to bed. I think Esme set up the guest room for you."

I sighed. "Okay."

We got up off the couch and, hand in hand, started making our way up the stairs. We didn't say anything as we walked, but it wasn't awkward. Being with his was natural…it was right.

He led me over to my door and smiled down at me. "Here we are. If you need anything during the night, I'm right next door. Feel free to wake me up."

I smiled. "Thank you, Edward. Goodnight."

He smiled at me, but he had a conflicted look in his eye. "Yes, sleep well."

He didn't let my hand go, so we just stood there for a moment staring at each other. I saw his eyes flicker down to my lips and then back up to my eyes.

I stopped breathing.

He licked his lips and then slowly leaned down. I closed my eyes and waited.

When Edward kissed me, it was the most powerful thing I had ever felt. I felt like the entire world narrowed down to the two of us and that was it. We were the only ones who mattered, who existed. It was very tender and sweet and only lasted about five seconds, but it was better than I imagined kissing anyone could be. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.

Edward Cullen was kissing me. Edward Cullen. Wow.

He pulled back after a moment and smiled at me.

"There. Now I can sleep well." He said quietly. I blushed and bit my lip. "Goodnight, Bella." He leaned down again and kissed my forehead. I almost melted.

"Goodnight, Edward." I whispered.

He smiled at me as I opened the door to my new room.

I closed it quietly behind me and walked in, flopping down on the bed. I didn't notice anything about the room. I didn't notice the beautiful sheets that I was laying on, or the incredible artwork the Cullen's had hanging up.

The only thing I noticed is that I was smiling. A real genuine smile.

**There ya go guys :) I hope you like this chapter, because I do. I'm trying to figure out where I want to go with this next, so if anyone has any ideas, send me a message! Thanks everyone!**


	12. Chapter Eleven: Bearable

Chapter Eleven: Bearable

The first night in the Cullen house was complete bliss for me. I was happy as I changed into my pajamas. I was happy as I curled up under my covers to go to sleep. My dreams, for once, were all pleasant.

I woke up the next morning to the smell of pancakes wafting through the house. My mouth was watering within seconds. I wasn't used to waking up on Sunday mornings to the smells of breakfast. Normally, it was to the sound of Charlie stumbling to bed after a long night out. I'd offer him breakfast, and he'd gag at the thought of it.

I quickly looked at myself in the mirror and gasped slightly. My hair was sticking up in various directions, making me look like I had been electrocuted. I quickly grabbed a brush that either Alice or Esme must have put in here at one point and brushed my hair out as good as I could. I took the hair things that I had on my wrist and put my hair up into a messy bun. I looked in the mirror once again and, satisfied that I couldn't make myself look any better, I opened the door and started heading for the stairs.

I could hear laughter and talking coming from the kitchen, so I figured everyone was up by this point.

When I entered the kitchen, I was greeted with smiles and 'good mornings' from everyone before they went back to their conversations. My eyes searched for Edward, and I found him sitting on the counter eating his breakfast with his eyes on me.

"Hi." I mouthed at him.

He smiled his crooked smile. "Hey." He mouthed back.

I blushed for some unknown reason and walked over to where the food was spread out. As I smelled from my room, there wer indeed pancakes. I put two on my plate eagerly and put a decent amount of syrup on them.

"Morning, Bells!" Emmett said loudly, putting his arm around me. "Sleep well?"

I nodded. "Yes, thank you." I said politely.

He laughed. "Good to know."

He walked over to where Rosalie was sitting at the table and plopped down next to her and began to devour three more pancakes. I smiled.

"Was the guest room alright, Bella?" Esme asked, smiling at me.

"Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you so much."

Esme tisked. "What did I say about thanking me?" She scolded teasingly.

"Sorry, I forgot. But you do deserve to be thanked." I said simply.

She shook her head and smiled at me again. "Family helps each other out when they need help, and I consider you part of my family. So no more thanking me." She reached out kissed my forehead and then walked away. My eyes started watering. I was part of a family now. That concept was amazing to me.

I walked over to where Edward sat on the counter and stood next to him. I wasn't really sure what I should do, but my worry was unneeded. Edward hopped of the counter and grabbed my plate for me, setting it aside. He pulled me to his chest and hugged me.

"Good morning." He sighed into my hair.

I giggled a little, but was very embarrassed. Had he told his family about last night?

"Good morning." I replied.

He let me go and smiled his heart stopping crooked smile at me.

He hopped back up on the counter and patted the space next to him. I hopped up and grabbed my plate and then began eating. I was starving for some reason.

I glanced up as I ate and was surprised that no one was staring at Edward and me. I would have figured Alice would be jumping up and down or something, but her and Jasper were eating their food at the breakfast nook and were chatting about something. Emmett and Rosalie were talking at the table while Emmett started eating Rosalie's left overs. I shrugged and went back to eating.

After I had finished my breakfast and was full, I got up and brought my plate over to the sink and laid it down as I had seen Esme do earlier. I stood there while everyone else finished up and one by one, they brought their dished to the sink and plopped them down. Once everyone was starting to make their way out of the kitchen, I grabbed the dishrag I had found nearby and began to wash the dishes.

"Bella?" Alice said from behind me. Only she and Edward were left in the kitchen.

"Yeah?" I asked as I started to scrub the syrup off of one of the plates.

"You know that you don't have to do that, right? That Esme or someone will get them later?"

I sighed. "I know, but I want to. It's the least I can do." I shrugged.

Alice sighed and smiled at me. "Fine then. At least let me help you. You wash, I dry." She said as she walked over to me and grabbed a dry towel.

I smiled. "Okay."

Edward was standing in the doorway still, smiling at us.

"Go on, Eddie. We've got this." She trilled out.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't call me Eddie." He said. He looked at me, winked, and then walked out.

Alice was quiet for a moment, listening intently to something that I couldn't figure out. Suddenly, she turned to me, grabbed a dish I had just washed and rinsed, and began drying it.

"So…you and my brother?" She said, smiling a knowing smile at me.

I shrugged. "What about us?" I said, blushing.

"Oh please!" Alice said, exasperated. "We all saw your little display of affection this morning. And not that it wasn't adorable, it was just unexpected."

I bit my lip. "I don't know exactly…you're not going to be mad, are you?" I asked, concerned.

She laughed. "Goodness, no! I've been waiting for this to happen since you two first met. I was just wondering how it started."

I began rinsing off another plate. "It started last night, I would say. It's been…building up for a while, I think."

She began to dry the plate once I handed it to her. "Details, Bella! As your best friend, you have to tell me what happened!" She demanded.

I couldn't help but smile at that. "Best friend?" I asked.

She smiled widely at me. "Of course." She assured me.

I smiled back. "Well then…" I picked up another plate and began to wash it. After I rinsed it and handed it to her, I began. "Last night, during the movie, he had put his arm around me and let me put my head on his shoulder." I said quietly as I began to scrub another dish. "And then after the movie, he walked me up to my room. And before I went in, he kissed me."

Alice squealed loudly and threw her arms around me, plate and towel still in hand. "Yes! I'm so happy for you two!"

"Thanks, Alice." I said, smiling at her exuberance.

We prattled on about mindless things as we finished the dishes. Once the last one was finished, Alice dried her hands off and turned to me.

"Well, why don't you go take a shower? I'll find you some clothes you can wear. I'm sure between Rosalie and me, we can find something good." She said with a smile.

"That sounds good. Thanks." I smiled.

She waved her hand, dismissing my gratitude. "I'll be up to your room in a few minutes with clothes." She skipped ahead of me while I slowly walked from the kitchen and headed up the stairs. I went into my room and started to make my bed, not wanting to disrespect whatever rules there may be in this house. Just as I finished up, Alice knocked on my door and opened it.

"Here you go." She said with a smile, handing me a pair of jeans, a white shirt, some…delicates, and a towel. "This should all fit just perfectly." She said with confidence.

"Thanks." I said as she walked out the door.

"Yup!" she said enthusiastically.

I quickly walked across the hallway and went into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I wanted to avoid the disaster of someone walking in on me.

I don't think a shower ever felt so good in my entire life. The hot water relaxed my tense muscles and made me feel more relaxed. I washed my hair, scrubbing it so that when I got out, maybe it would be somewhat tamable. After that, I washed my body, rinsed, and the turned off the water. I hopped out of the shower and threw the towel around my body, drying off, and then wrapped it in my hair.

I looked at the clothes Alice gave me to wear. The shirt was a very soft long sleeved shirt that was modest. I put it on and realized that it did indeed fit perfectly. The pants were next and even though they were a bit tight, they still buttoned and zipped, satisfying me. I looked at myself in the slightly fogged up mirror, making sure I looked somewhat presentable. I then walked out of the bathroom after I took the towel out of my hair.

When I walked into the hallway, I was surprised to see Edward coming out of his bedroom…with no shirt on. He caught me staring just a second too long, and I turned away, blushing.

"See something you like, Bella?" He teased as he walked towards me.

"Uhh…no. I mean, yes…I mean…I've got to go dry my hair." I started to turn away, but he caught my arm, laughing as he did so.

"I was just kidding, Bella. You don't have to be shy like that around me…even though I do love that blush." He chuckled again.

"Oh, hush." I demanded.

He smiled. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing. Just hanging around the house. Why?"

He smiled at me. "After I get out of the shower, come see me. We can talk. Okay?" He asked.

"Sure. I'll be up when you finish."

"Good." He smiled. He leaned forward and gave me a peck on the lips, surprising me. "See you in a while then." And with that, he turned around and walked into the bathroom, winking at me before he shut the door.

I sighed and turned around going into my bedroom quickly to brush my hair out. After that, I decided to go downstairs to find something to occupy myself with while I waited for my talk with Edward.

I had to admit that I was nervous. I don't know what he wanted to talk about. Weren't "talks" like this normally a bad thing? From what I've seen and heard, they always ended in someone crying because they got their heart broken. What if he was going to tell me that he was just in the heat of the moment and should never have kissed me?

_Stop that, Bella._ I demanded myself. He just kissed me again like two minutes ago. If he didn't like it the first time, he wouldn't have wanted more. I sighed, wishing there was a way to just turn my mind off for a few minutes so I could stop my constant strain of over thinking things.

I found Esme in the living room. She was curled up in the corner of the couch, reading a book. I quickly scanned the title, curious as to what she was reading. It was _Wuthering Heights_, one of my personal favorite books. I loved to read. Reading was a way I had of escaping for me whenever my life became too much for me to handle. Even though _Wuthering Heights_ was one of the most depressing books ever written, I still loved it. There was something about the story. Maybe it was the inevitability of it. It seemed like no matter what, Heathcliff and Katherine would end up loving each other. It wasn't a love story with a happy ending, but then again in real life, some love stories don't have happy endings.

After a few moments, Esme sensed my presence. She looked up from her book and smiled.

"Bella. What can I do for you?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just wandering and I saw you were reading _Wuthering Heights_. It's one of my favorites."  
Esme smiled widely at me. "I guess I'm not the only one who likes slightly demonic love stories." She said with a chuckle. "Do you read a lot?" She asked.

I nodded. "I love reading." I said simply.

She scooted over and patted the spot next to her on the couch. I walked over and sat down, tucking my legs under me.

"Tell me, Bella. What kinds of books do you enjoy? I'm sure you saw in Carlisle's office, there are quite a few books." She said with a chuckle.

I nodded with a smile. "I noticed." I chuckled. "And I will honestly read anything. I love Jane Austen and both Brontë sisters. _Jane Eyre_ is another one of my favorites."

Esme nodded in approval. "You have some good taste." She said. "What about Charles Dickens?" She asked.

We went back and forth for quite some time, discussing our favorite authors and our least favorite. Esme and I had a lot of similar tastes when it came to reading. I never really had anyone to talk to about books before, so I was marveling in this moment. Having someone to talk to was wonderful.

Just as we started talking about Shakespeare, I heard a throat clear behind us. Edward stood there, his hair damp and looking breath taking as usual.

"Hello, Edward. What can we do for you?" Esme asked, smiling at her son.

He smiled back. "I was wondering if I could steal Bella for a while." He asked, looking at me.

Esme nodded. "She's all yours. I have to run down to the store anyways. Bella, when I get back, I'm going to dig in Carlisle's office for _Emma._ It's one of my favorites of Jane Austen. I still can't believe you haven't read it!" She said, her face disbelieving.

I smiled at her. "That would be wonderful." I replied.

"Okay then. I'll see you two later." She said. Edward and I stood in the living room as Esme threw her shoes on and then ran out the door. Once she was gone, Edward turned to me.

"Shall we go to my room?" He asked.

I nodded. "Sure."

He offered his hand to me and after a moment, I took it, smiling at him when I felt the electric charge race through our hands.

He smiled back as if he understood.

We made our way quickly to his room. Once we were inside, he shut the door behind him. I remembered being in here yesterday…wow. It was hard to believe that was yesterday. I shuddered slightly and walked over to the couch, sitting down. I looked around his room again, noticing the subtle differences from last time I was in here. Some of the clothes were picked up, but now there were different shirts strewn about in different places. And this time, on his bed I noticed a keyboard.

"Do you play piano?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes. I use that whenever I get an idea for a composition late at night. I can plug earphones into it." He said with a smile. "I have a baby grand piano in the basement. I go down there a lot."

"Can I hear you play sometime?" I asked quietly.

He walked over and sat down next to me, touching my cheek. "Of course. I'd love for you to hear me play."

I smiled at him. "So…" I began, cutting to the chase. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked, looking at him curiously.

"Ohh…" He began nervously. Edward was nervous? Oh-no. "Well…I just wanted to know…how you felt about…me." He finally mumbled.

I looked down at my hands as I fiddled with them on my lap. "Actually, I was, uh, kind of curious about the same thing. How you feel about me."

"Well I thought that it would be kind of obvious after what I did last night." He said with a chuckle.

I smiled slightly. "Well yes, I just want to be sure." I said with a shrug.

"Bella, I like you a lot. You make me so…happy. I've only known you for a little while, but I can't imagine my life without you now." He said sincerely. "I've never felt this way about anyone else." He finished, looking into my eyes with an intensity that left me breathless.

It was quiet for a few moments as we just stared at each other, basking in whatever feeling surrounded us.

"Okay." Edward said, shaking his head slightly. "Your turn. How do you feel about me?"

I shifted slightly. "I like you a lot too. You make me feel safe and comforted and happy, truly happy for once in my life. I've faked happy so many times that I almost forgot what it felt like to be really happy. You've helped me remember that. And I've never felt like this about anyone either. You mean so much to me already. And it kind of scares me." I said seriously.

"I'm scared too." He admitted. "But I really want to try this. I want to try us. It may take some adjusting, what with us living together," He said with a teasing glint in his eyes, "but I think it could be good. I know it will be." He said as he grabbed my hand.

"I want to try too." I said, smiling at him. "But we need to take things slow. I'm kind of a mess right now." I said with a shrug.

He nodded. "Of course, Bella. I completely understand that."

I half smiled. "That's one thing that I completely adore about you." I said with a smile. "You're so understanding."

He shrugged. "Have you met my mom and dad?" He joked. "It's genetic."

I laughed and leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. His arms quickly wrapped themselves around me, and once again, I felt safe and calm.

I knew as we sat there that there would be many more problems to deal with. My father being one of them. But I also knew that Edward would be by my side, and with that thought in mind, everything seemed bearable

**Another chapter complete! Let me know what you think…review! **

**Also, I'm thinking of adding a one-shot that I wrote a while ago. It's really corny, but it's cute. Should I add it? Review and let me know! Thanks for reading! :)**


	13. Chapter Twelve: Help

Chapter Twelve: Help

I sat on the couch staring blankly at the letter in my hand. I didn't know what to make of it. I was in shock if I was being honest. I had already read it about three times and each time, it just seemed more unreal to me.

The first week at the Cullen house had gone relatively well. I still hadn't gotten a chance to go home yet (more accurately, I was avoiding going home), so Alice kept finding me outfits of hers for me to wear. They were all super expensive, but fit relatively well, so I was satisfied. Every morning when I woke up, I could smell whatever delicious breakfast Esme had been making. I'd walk down stairs to find everyone in the kitchen, eating their food quietly. The only ones who were morning people were Alice and Esme. Edward rarely said a word during breakfast, but always smiled at me and would pat the spot next to him. I'd walk over with my plate and he'd kiss me-whether it is on the cheek, the lips, or the forehead. I'd blush. He'd laugh. It was like a routine, and I enjoyed it…I craved it.

School was interesting. It seemed Edward was determined to let everyone know that we were together. Monday morning, he started off by coming around to my door of the Volvo and opening it for me. And then he laced our fingers together and walked me and Alice to our English class. I got envious stares from many of the girls such as Lauren and Jessica. Angela, being one of the only supportive friends I had outside the Cullen family, smiled widely when she saw us together. Mike was also one of the ones who shot envious looks, but they were shot towards Edward. I couldn't help but laugh about that. Maybe now he'd get the hint that I wasn't interested.

We didn't show a lot of public displays of affection. We'd hold hand and once in a while, he'd give me a peck before leaving me to go to his class. But it still let everyone know that we were together and let everyone know they should back off of Edward, like Lauren. Of course she didn't back off, but whenever she hit on him now, he'd put his arm around me, effectively shutting her down.

After school, I'd come home to find Esme prattling around the house. Dr. Cullen had been out of the house a lot lately at the hospital, so whenever we saw him, it was during dinner and after that, he'd head back out. We had dinner together each night though, and I loved it. We'd sit around discussing our day and anything interesting that had happened. After that, we'd all go our separate ways in the house. Sometimes, Edward, Alice, and I would go into the living room and do homework together. Sometimes, I'd go curl up on the couch in Edward's room and read while he plugged his headphones into his keyboard and worked on something. I still haven't heard him play yet, but he promised me soon. He was working on something he wanted me to hear, and he wanted to play that for me before anything else.

Sometimes, I'd go into Alice's room and we'd just talk or listen to music, relaxing. Emmett normally called at least once a night. Even though he was a full grown man, you could tell that he loved his family and wanted to stay very much connected with them. And after the phone conversation, no matter who he spoke to, they would tell me "Bella? Emmett says 'Hi, Bells'." I liked Emmett a lot. He was like the big brother I had always wanted.

Everything was going pretty well for once. The only hitch I had was Charlie, as usual. I hadn't spoken to him since that day outside of Carlisle's office, but that didn't stop Charlie from calling each day. He only left one voicemail on Wednesday, and it broke my heart. He was so drunk I could hardly understand what he was saying, but I got the gist of it. It was more of him comparing me to my mother because I had left him. He said he could n ever forgive me for that. He finished saying that I had to come home sometime and demanding to know where I was. "I'm your father!" He slurred. "I have a right to know!" And then he hung up. I received the call and the message at about two in the morning. I couldn't sleep after that, so laid in my bed, crying. At about two thirty, I heard my bedroom door open. Edward had heard me and came into my bedroom to see what happened. I couldn't explain at the moment, so Edward just held me to him and let me cry it out.

After that day, I didn't hear anything more from him, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. The only reason I ever enjoyed hearing from him before was because I knew he was still living. I knew that he was alright. But now…I don't know what's become of him.

That is until Carlisle came home from work one day, a white envelope in his hand.

"Bella?" He called. I was sitting in Edward's room reading when I heard him. "Can you come down here for a minute please?" I doggy eared my book and got up.

"I'll be right back, Edward." I said.

He looked up from his keyboard and smiled. "I'll be here." He said simply.

I walked out of Edward's room and downstairs where I found Carlisle, standing in the living room.

"You called?" I said with a smile.

He smiled back at me. "Yes. I have something for you." He held out the envelope to me. I cocked an eyebrow but reached out and took it from him.

"Who's this from?" I asked. But the question was unnecessary. My name was written across the envelope in a messy scrawl I would know anywhere. This was from Charlie.

I looked up at Carlisle with wide eyes. "I'll be in my office if you need me." He said with a half smile on his face. I nodded and watched him walk away.

I walked over to the love seat and held the letter in my hands. I didn't know if I wanted to open it. This stupid little envelope felt like it weighed 20 pounds in my hand. I just stared at it for a few moments, not sure what to do. At least I knew that he was still alive now. Was that enough for me?

After another minute or so, I decided I had to open it. Obviously, Charlie had wanted me to know whatever was in this envelope pretty bad if he tracked Carlisle down to give it to me.

I slowly slid my finger under the flap, opening it cautiously. I pulled the letter out and unfolded it. With a deep breath, I began reading.

_Bella,_

_ I don't know where to start with this. I know you probably hate me right now, and honestly I don't blame you._ _What I said to you that day was awful and you didn't deserve it._

_ What you said that day still haunts me because it was all completely true. I haven't been a father to you. You've been taking care of me for all these years when I should have been taking care of you. It was my job, not yours, but I made you do it. _

_ I wanted you to know how truly sorry I am for everything that I've put you through. I'm going to try my best to get better. I'm in rehab now, thanks to Dr. Cullen. He's been trying to help me out since a few days after you left and I just realized that I need to do this. For you and for me. _

_ I'm not going to ask you to come see me. I'll understand if you don't. But if you do want to, ask Carlisle to bring you. He's a good man, Bella. I know that you'll be taken care of as long as you stay with them._

_ Take care baby girl. I love you._

_ Love, _

_ Charlie_

And so that's why I'm sitting on this couch, trying to process everything. My dad was in rehab…he was trying to getting better. And not just for me. For himself too. That's something I have been waiting for since…5th grade.

I reread the letter once more and I found myself getting even more chocked up as I read the part about Carlisle. I now understood where he had been all this time, why he was always leaving. He did it for me. The tears spilled over.

I stood up and ran upstairs, tripping over myself, but not letting that stop me. Once I was at the top of the stairs, I saw Edward who was just coming out of his room.

"Bella? What happened?" He asked frantically.

I smiled slightly through my tears, handing him the letter. After he took it from me, I ran to Carlisle's office and opened the door, knocking quickly as I did.

He looked startled, but after he saw it was me, he stood up quietly. I ran to him and through my arms around him.

"Thank you, Carlisle." I sobbed as he held me.

He wrapped his arms around me and started shushing me. "It was the least I could do. I truly believe that your father can get better. You helped him realize that."

"He's in rehab!" I said with joy. "He's going to get help."

Carlisle nodded and then pulled back to look at me. "I'm confident that he'll get help, Bella, but it's not going to be easy. He's going to go through withdrawal. He's been drinking so steadily for so long that it's not going to be easy for him. There could be some pretty severe after effects." Carlisle's voice was gentle. I knew he wasn't trying to be a kill joy. He was just informing me of the harsh reality.

I nodded. "When can I go see him?" I asked.

Carlisle hesitated. "You may want to wait, Bella. He's going to be…rough for a while."

"I know. I just want to see that he's…okay. And to let him know that I'm going to support him, no matter what." I said, whispering the last part.

Carlisle smiled at me. "I don't know if this means anything, but I'm very proud of you Bella. You've taken everything in stride and are still willing to show forgiveness to someone who's hurt you."

I wiped another tear that began trickling down my cheek. "That means more to me than you will ever know."

"I can go tell Edward where the rehab center is and he can drive you down there." Carlisle said as he squeezed me once more. "I'll inform them that you are coming. You won't be able to stay long because it's not a visiting day, but they'll make an allowance this once."

I nodded and let go of him. "Thank you, Carlisle. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done."

He waved me off. "Don't even mention it."

I followed him back out into the hallway and when he began talking to Edward, I went into my room, grabbing a hoodie and my cell phone. I through my shoes on quickly and then I looked in the mirror, making sure that I didn't look like too much of a wreck. Once I was satisfied, I walked out of my room to see Edward waiting for me. He already had his shoes on and his keys were dangling from his hands.

"Ready to go?" He asked, holding the letter out to me.

I nodded, suddenly nervous. "Yeah, let's go." I said quietly.

He grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. "It'll be all right, Bella. You can do this." He said encouragingly. Then he started leading us down the stairs, out the door and into his Volvo.

We didn't talk much on the way there. The rehab clinic he was at was about 30 minutes outside of Forks, so I had a decent amount of time to freak myself out. I hadn't actually seen my dad since the day I freaked out on him in our house. I didn't know why to expect when I saw him. Would he even be coherent enough to know that I was there?

As if sensing that I was worrying myself, Edward reached over and turned the radio on, putting it on a playlist of songs that he knew I loved. Once the song "I Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot started playing, he reached over the center council and grabbed my hand again. He rubbed his thumb soothingly over the back of my hand. I tried to concentrate on the electric feel that was shooting through my body at his touch and I found it did sooth me. Edward was here. I could handle this.

Once we pulled into the rehab center, my heart started pounding. I had to do this, but I was trying to find the courage. I had to do this.

Edward looked over at me, sensing my hesitation. "You know Bella, you don't have to do this right now. You can always come back. It's not that far away. I'll bring you back whenever you want."

I shook my head. "I have to do this." I reiterated out loud. "I can't have him worrying about me while he's trying to get better. He needs to focus on himself, not me. He needs to know that I'm supporting him and that I'm okay." I didn't let him say anything else. I got out of the car the minute I finished speaking.

Edward got out quickly and, hand in hand, we walked towards the entrance. Once inside the doors, Edward walked me up to the lady at the front desk.

"Can I help you?" She asked as she snapped her gum. She was an older woman, but that didn't stop her from checking out Edward. I stifled a laugh despite the situation.

"Yes, we're here to see Charlie Swan. I believe Dr. Cullen called about the situation?" Edward said smoothly.

She thought for a moment. "Right, right. Go on in. I'll buzz you through. He should be in his room. It's down corridor B, room 204."

"Thank you." Edward said as he walked me over to the doors that led to the rooming areas.

"Okay, corridor B…hmmm…" Edward said as we stood at an intersection of hallways. My mouth felt incredibly dry. I couldn't speak. I located the hall for corridor B before he did, so I tapped him to get his attention.

He put his arm around me as he led me down the hallway. "It's going to be all right Bella." He said soothingly as I watched the room numbers pass by.

"I hope so." I squeaked out.

My heart pounded painfully once we got outside room 204. I was so nervous that I could barely breathe. But somehow, I found the courage to lift my hand up and knock.

"Come in." I heard Charlie say quietly. I felt my eyes watering so I quickly wiped the tears away. I grabbed Edward's hand, silently telling him to come in with me, and then twisted the door knob.

The room was small. The walls were all gray and depressing looking. There was a small dresser on one side of the room. On top of it, I saw a few pictures, mainly of me and a few of him and Billy while fishing. The bed was a twin sized bed with a dark blue comforter on it. And on top of that bed sat my father in an oversized gray t-shirt and black sweatpants. I swallowed thickly.

He hadn't looked up when we entered, but I already could see some of the physical differences. He was much paler than he was before, his skin looking lucid and unhealthy. He was holding his hands together as he sat, staring out his window. His hands were shaking terribly and, knowing my father, that was probably very frustrating for him. I could see the sweat trickling down the side of his face and I briefly wondered why they didn't give him shorts to where instead of those sweatpants.

After a moment of me just standing there, clinging to Edward, Charlie turned and I got a full view of his face. After I got over the shock I saw in his eyes, I noticed the dark purple bags under his eyes, showing me that he hasn't slept well in quite some time. And he was blinking a lot. I didn't know if that was him getting over the shock of seeing me or if that was part of the withdrawal.

"Bella?" He rasped out quietly.

I nodded as I tried to stop myself from crying. "Yeah dad. It's me." I walked a little farther into the room, dropping Edward's hand. He stayed near the door, watching me cautiously.

"You came." He whispered, stunned. "I didn't think you would."

I went over to a small foldable chair that had been placed near his bed and sat down.

"Of course I came. You may have messed up, but you're my dad." I said simply.

He smiled a very weak smile at me. "Bella, I'm so sor-"

"Not now dad." I interrupted. "We can do apologies and stuff later. I can't stay very long because of the rules they have around here, but I had to come. I just want to let you know that I'm going to support you through this whole thing." I promised. "No matter what. And that I'm okay. The Cullen's are taking good care of me. You don't have to worry about me at all. Just focus on yourself."

He looked at me sadly. "That's all I've ever done." He shrugged and before I could stop him from the self blame, he continued. "Dr. Cullen is a good guy. I'm glad that you found them." His eyes wandered over to Edward. "Who is this?" He asked.

"Oh this is Edward Cullen, Dr. Cullen's son. And uh…my…uh, special friend?" I made it sound like a question. And to my surprise, both Edward and my father laughed.

"Hello sir. I'm Bella's boyfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you." Edward said, stretching his hand out.

Charlie took it and gave Edward a firm handshake. "You be good to my baby girl." He said sternly and I wanted to cry. That sounded like something my dad would say…my real dad.

"I will. I promise." Edward said with conviction. I smiled over at him.

After a few more minutes of Charlie and I talking about my arrangements and me promising I'd come back sometime in the next week during a visiting day, Edward and I had to leave.

"Thank you for coming." Charlie said, and in his eyes, I saw the father that made me the sick island and made a little campout for me when the power went out. "Both of you. I'll see you soon?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'll be back. I promise."

Charlie nodded. "Okay. Goodbye Bella." He said quietly.

"Bye Dad." I said in the same hushed tone.

Edward and I walked out of his room quietly. Neither of us said anything until we were outside.

"How are you?" Edward asked, stopping us in front of his car.

I smiled at him. "I'm good. I'm really good. He's okay, Edward. We're going to be okay."

He smiled at me and pulled me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. "I'm so happy for you." He said.

I pulled back and smiled at him. "I should be happy for you. You have a girlfriend?" I teased. Edward and I hadn't officially given anything between us a title yet, so when he introduced himself as my boyfriend, I was quite joyous.

He smiled at me sheepishly. "Right, I was going to ask you about that…are you okay with that?"

I smiled widely. "Of course. I'm more than okay with that."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss me and I internally wished that I could have a million more moments of this. Edward and I together, defeating whatever got in our way. As long as we were together, I knew that there was nothing that could stop us.

**Yet another chapter finished. Let me know what you all think! Review! That's what gives me the energy to write more!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen: One Step Forward

Chapter Thirteen: One Step Forward…

"King me." I said with a smirk.

Charlie glared. "When did you get so good at checkers?" He demanded.

I was sitting in the rehab center with Charlie on one of the visiting days they had each week. Things had been going relatively well. It had been about a week since the first day I had seen him and, thanks to Carlisle, I got into see him about 4 more times on non visiting days. Surprisingly, things hadn't been that strained between us like I thought they might have been. True, we had kind of avoided the subject of our past, something that I knew we couldn't do forever, but he needed to focus on himself right now.

Edward had joined me a few times, but today he just dropped me off and said he'd come back in an hour to get me. Things with Edward had been great too. Everything between us just seemed really natural and easy. There was no pressure to go any farther than I was ready for, and I loved him for that.

I loved him.

Yes, I admit it was true. Had I told him yet? No. Why? I was afraid of rejection. I knew that it was too soon for me to say that I had really fallen in love with him. People would say that I was being a dramatic teenager. But I knew on this inside that I wasn't. Edward had been there for me, not matter what. Whenever I needed someone, he was always the first one I went to. He was endlessly supportive. And endlessly kind. And endlessly amazing. Need I go on?

But I didn't want to tell him just yet. I wanted it to be something special when I told him. And I wanted to be sure of his feelings for me. So I kept it to myself. I would know when the right moment was when I came upon it.

I watched as Charlie's brow scrunched up as he decided on his next move. I knew I had won this game and I watched slowly as realization dawned upon his face.

"I forfeit." He said with a frown. "But I expect a rematch next time you come." He smiled at me.

I smiled back. "Of course. But I'm still going to whip your butt." I said with a shrug.

He glared. "We'll see about that."

I laughed as I stood up. I glanced down at my cell phone to see that it was seven o'clock. Edward would be here by now.

"Crap. I've got to go, dad. I'll see you soon though." I promised as I grabbed my jacket and purse.

"Okay, Bella. Drive home safely."

I smiled. "We will." I promised.

Even though things may be getting better, I still haven't found it in my heart to say I love you. I did love him, but he needed to say it first. It sounded childish, but I always said it to him before and he'd never say it back. So I was going to wait until he said something first.

I walked out the doors to the rehab center and looked around for the silver Volvo I knew would be waiting for me. He was parked next to the curb to my right a little. I smiled as I walked over to the car.

"Hello, love." He said as I opened the door. That was another thing. He had started calling me love. It first started one night when we were sitting in his room. As usual, I was sitting on his couch reading a book-the one Esme had insisted I read-while he worked on his new composition. I got really thirsty, so I doggy eared my book and set it on the couch. I stood up, stretching my arms above my head. I smiled over at Edward as he took one of his earphones away from his ear.

"I'm going to go grab a can of soda. Do you want something?" I asked as I started heading towards the door.

He smiled at me. "Some Dr. Pepper would be great. Thanks, love." He said. It seemed to just roll of his tongue. I don't know if he even noticed it. He just put his earphones back on and started playing his keyboard again.

Ever since then, it had become a common thing. He always called me love now. And even with that, I wasn't sure if he returned my feelings. Who knows? Maybe he just considered it a term of endearment like "honey" or "sweetheart."

"Hey, there." I said, snapping back to the present.

"How did it go with your father today?" He asked as he began pulling out of the parking lot.

I sighed. "It was good. We played checkers. I won." I said victoriously and with a gloating tone.

"That sounds like a challenge to me, Miss Swan." Edward said, peeking at me from the corner of his eye.

"Maybe it is Mr. Cullen." I said, glaring at him playfully.

He laughed. "You are on then. Tomorrow after school, I'm taking you down."

"We shall see." I said in what I hoped was an ominous tone.

He laughed, reaching across the center counsel and grabbing my hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it. I sighed contentedly. I felt secure and happy again as he always made me feel.

The ride home was quiet as I stared out my window thinking about random things. I realized that I still had a ton of homework to do when I got home, mainly physics. Mr. Monroe really packed it on tonight.

I sighed, thinking of Mr. Monroe. Of course almost everyone in Forks new about my father's new location and Mr. Monroe was most concerned about it. He asked me to stay after class the Wednesday after I had found out about Charlie.

Once I told Edward that I would meet him outside in a few minutes, I walked up to Mr. Monroe's desk as the class cleared out. Once they did, he began to speak.

"I found out about your father." He said simply.

I sighed. "When did you find out?" I asked calmly.

"I got a call from Billy Black on Monday morning before school. He asked me to check on you."

I blew out a big gust of air. "You can tell Billy that I'm fine. Everything is going a lot better than it was."

Mr. Monroe hesitated for a moment as he stared at me. "Have you by any chance heard from…Renee?" He asked.

I was stunned. "No. I haven't spoken to her since the day she left. She doesn't give a damn about me or my father. If she did, she wouldn't have left."

Mr. Monroe didn't seem to hear the second part of my statement. He looked surprised as he said "You haven't heard from her at all lately?"

I gave him an incredulous look. "Did you not just hear a word I said? I haven't heard from her since she left. That was it."

Mr. Monroe truly looked confused. "Well. I see. Run along now, Bella." He said as he turned his attention back to whatever papers he was grading.

I didn't understand where that all came from. He acted so surprised that I hadn't talked to my mom. I didn't know where the hell she was, and honestly…I wouldn't talk to her even if I did.

"Earth to Bella!" Edward said, breaking me out of my revere.

"Oops." I said with a chuckle. "I zoned out."

He looked at me with concern. "What are you thinking about?"

I sighed. "Just all the homework I have to do still." I said with a chuckle.

Edward looked at me fully, taking his eyes off the road. "The truth."

I sighed. "I hate when you do that." I said sourly.

He turned his eyes back to the road. "Do what?"

"Read me like a book. How did you know that I wasn't telling you everything?" I demanded.

He half-smiled. "Well number one, I don't think you would space out for twenty minutes thinking about homework." He smirked at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to laugh. "And number two, you are a horrible liar. And number three, you have a tell."

I looked at him curiously. "A tell?"

He nodded. "You only do it when you tell a pretty big lie, but your nostrils flare."

My face blazed. "They do?" I asked, embarrassed.

He chuckled. "Yes. I find it endearing."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you do." I mumbled. "Well enough bashing my lying skills or lack thereof. If you are still interested, I was thinking about the conversation Mr. Monroe and I had about my mother."

The teasing atmosphere left and it turned serious. "Is it really bothering you again?" He asked with concern.

I sighed. "Well, yeah. I just don't understand why he would think I kept in touch with my mother. Everyone knows that I don't talk to her. I haven't had the chance to, and wouldn't want to even if I did."

Edward sighed as we started driving up the road to his house. "Put it out of your mind. Mr. Monroe needs to mind his own business." Edward said firmly.

I sighed and nodded. He let the subject drop as we pulled into his driveway.

The next day passed in a blur. Everyone could tell that I was slightly out of it and they were all worried. I didn't know exactly what was wrong. I figured it was just everything catching up with me. It had been a very stressful couple of days. So much had changed. So when I was asked, I just said I was exhausted. It wasn't a lie because I was.

But…I was getting a feeling. I had a bad feeling about something, I just didn't know what. And it was driving me nuts. I didn't know why I was feeling this way. What else could possibly happen to make things more insane then they already were?

I got my answer after school.

I met Edward by his Volvo as I normally did after school. He smiled at me as I walked over to him and I couldn't help but smile back at him. He was too good looking and adorable for his own good.

"Hey, love." He said when I was in hearing range. He put his arms around me and pulled me to his chest.

"Hey." I said, smiling up at him. "Can we possibly run to my house really quick? I need to grab a few outfits and a few of my books. And my phone charger. I'm sick of having to share one with Alice."

He nodded. "Sure thing. Hop in." He said, opening my door in a chivalrous fashion.

"What about Alice?" I questioned.

Edward laughed and pointed over to the other side of the parking lot where there was a dark blue Jeep parked. And leaning against it was Jasper. He waved at me with a smile. Alice clearly hadn't seen him yet. I could only imagine her reaction.

"Let's get out here of before the squealing starts." I said with a giggle.

Edward nodded in agreement and shut the door when I was fully inside sitting down. Edward ran around to the driver's side just as I saw Alice take note of Jasper. She started bouncing and then practically sprinted to where he was. I smiled at the two of them as we started to pull away.

"So are we still on for our game of checkers when we get home?" Edward asked in a teasing tone.

"Yes. Prepare to be defeated." I joked. We bantered back and forth like this until we got to my house. I could tell he was relieved to see that I was acting more normal then I had all day. I still had that feeling, but I was doing my best to ignore it.

He pulled into my drive way and unlocked the doors. "Hurry up." He said with a smile. "I'm anxious to beat you." He said with a laugh.

"Oh shut it." I said as I got out of the car. I pulled my key ring out of my pocket and found the correct key to unlock the door…but it was already unlocked. I turned around and gave Edward a funny look, but he wasn't looking at me. He seemed to be admiring the car that was parked across the street. It looked like an Audi or something. I didn't speak car.

I opened the door and peeked inside, not sure if I was going to find an axe murderer lurking around or if Charlie simply forgot to lock the door when he left.

I saw nothing out of the ordinary at first. Everything was just as I had left it except for a few stray cans that Charlie hadn't picked up. I shrugged and went inside the house all the way. It kind of made me sad to be in here now. I hadn't been here since the day I flipped out on Charlie. I sighed sadly and started walking towards the staircase, but a movement in the living room caught my attention. I shrieked and turned around quickly, my heart hammering in my chest.

I stared at the figure that was calmly standing in the center of the living room, their jacket folded over their arms. If my memory served me right, this person hadn't changed much. I would never forget this person no matter how much I may want to.

"The place hasn't changed much." The figure said quietly, their voice soothing. "Charlie was always a very constant man. He didn't like change."

Edward bolted in the door at this point (he most likely heard me scream), freezing once he entered, but I ignored him.

I looked into the eyes of my intruder. The eyes were so familiar…because they were my eyes.

"Mom?" I said quietly, my voice shaking. "What the hell are you doing here?"

**Well what did you guys think? Review please!**

**Also, everyone check out my oneshot that I did end up adding. It's called "The Way I Loved You." It's pure fluff :) **

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	15. Chapter Fourteen: Betrayal

**Hey guys! I just wanted to warn you that there is a bit more language in this chapter. It's only like one word, but I'm just letting you guys know...anyways, on with the story!**

Chapter Fourteen: Betrayal

_"Mom?" I said quietly, my voice shaking. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

She shrugged. "I heard what happened to Charlie. I thought I would come home and help."

I scoffed. "First off, Renee, this is not your home. Second, you never helped before. Why would you care now? And third of all, how the heck did you even get in here?"

I felt Edward come up behind me and put his hand on my side, comforting and giving me strength.

She had the nerve to look hurt by my words. "I knew where the spare key was." She began. "And I didn't know that there was a problem until a few days ago. If I would have known…" She trailed off.

"What?" I demanded. "You would have come back? News flash, _mom_." I sneered the word. "The problem started the day you walked out on us."

Renee took a deep breath and stared at me. She did look exactly the same. She may have lost a little weight but that was it. I examined her carefully, looking at every inch of her. My eyes froze when they got to her hands. Her left hand specifically.

"You're married?" I choked out. "So the 'someone else' from your letter turned out to be the one?"

She looked astonished. "Charlie showed you the letter?" She sounded appalled.

I don't know if Charlie ever intended for me to see the note, but I saw it. The words still felt like someone was jabbing a knife into my heart. As a 5th grade girl, I could figure when I read the note was that I had done something wrong. I had made mommy so mad that she decided to leave. As I got older though, I realized the harsh reality of it all. I hadn't done anything wrong. I just wasn't worth it to her.

"He never actually showed it to me, but that doesn't mean I didn't find it." I said. "What a wonderful mother you were." I said as I glared at her. "How did you phrase it? 'Keep the kid. I don't want to be a mother.' Yes, that's right."

She glared now, looking mad. "For your information Isabella, I did not marry the man I cheated on your father with." She said this as if it justified everything.

"Like that justifies anything." I said bitterly. I looked over at Edward who was looking at me with concern. I found the strength and courage that I needed to keep going in his eyes.

"Who is this?" My mom asked. I looked over at her to see her staring at Edward.

I sighed. "This is my boyfriend Edward."

She smiled like she was happy for me. I wanted to vomit. "Does Charlie know about him? He's gonna have a heart attack when he finds out."

I put my arm around Edward's waist for a moment, squeezing him. "He already knows. In fact, Edward comes with me sometimes when I visit Charlie at rehab. They get along quite well."

Renee ignored my comment. "It's nice to meet you Edward." She said. Edward simply nodded once in return.

I sighed and walked a bit farther into the living room with Edward trailing behind me, holding my hand.

"So, _mommy dearest_. I answered some of your questions about my love life." I said, referring to her questions about Edward. "Now it's my turn. Who are you married to now?" I asked trying not to seem all that interested when in reality, I very much was. I wanted to know what her made her life so livable now when the life she had with us was apparently unbearable.

She sighed. "His name is Phil Dwyer. He's a minor league baseball player." She said simply.

"Great. A jock." I said with sarcasm. She gave me a disapproving look which I ignored.

"Does he know about me?" I asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

Renee sighed. "He knows everything about you that I know." She said.

I snorted. "So not much." I took a deep breath. "Okay. Tell me who you cheated on dad with? Do I know him? Was he from around here?" I rattled off.

Renee bit her lip and my stomach turned. A habit that I never really minded before was now something I despised about myself. Because it came from her.

"I don't know why you need to know this, Bella. It's not relevant anymore."

"It's relevant to me. You ruined my entire childhood when you walked out that fucking door." I snapped. I was shocked at my own language. I had never said the f word before. Sure I had heard it spouted off a few times from my dad and his friends when they came here, drunk. And, of course, the common use of it around Fork's high school. But I had never actually used it. But that's how much Renee pissed me off.

"I think I deserve to know who was so worth it that you left me and my father. Who was more worth it then me? Your own daughter!"

Here eyes widened as I finished my little rant. "Fine. He was a close friend of the family. He must still be around quite a bit. I've kept in touch with him. And I always ask if he's heard anything about you or seen you. And he always has something new to report." She said with a smile. I scanned through the people I saw every day, trying to figure out who could be so low to have an affair with my mom when they were apparently a good family friend. Who would betray my father like that?

"Who?" I demanded.

She sighed. "His name was David Monroe. I think he used to be an elementary teacher. Do you remember him? I actually stayed with him for a while after I…you know."

My stomach dropped and I lost my balance, having to lean on Edward. Mr. Monroe? The Mr. Monroe that had been my very favorite teacher until recently? Until now…

Everything started to slowly click together and make sense. I barely registered Edward leading me over to the couch. That's why Mr. Monroe always let me get away with everything in his class. He wasn't nice to me because my mom had left me…he was nice to me because he was one of the reasons why. That's why he stopped talking to my dad after she left. Because he was with my mom. Did my dad know?

The conversation I had had with Mr. Monroe suddenly made sense. He had kept in touch with Renee this whole time. He's the reason that she is here. He told he what had happened with my father. That's why he seemed so confused and surprised when I told him that I hadn't heard from Renee.

Mr. Monroe had betrayed my father. Mr. Monroe had betrayed me.

"Take me home, Edward." I rasped out. "I want to go home."

"Bella," My mom began. "You are home. Is she okay?" Renee asked Edward.

Edward helped me up while I glared at my mother. "I'm going to the house where I have been living since Charlie went to rehab. Plus this isn't home. I haven't felt at home here since before 5th grade." I said sourly.

Edward kept his arm around me as he led me towards the door.

"At least tell me where you're staying." Renee begged.

I sighed and turned around to face her. "I'll call the house when I get there, but I don't want you to ruin the only family that I have left." I said bitterly.

And then Edward and I walked quickly to his car. I jumped into the passenger's seat and while he hopped into the driver's side, quickly starting the car and peeling out of the driveway.

I sobbed the entire way home.

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	16. Chapter Fifteen: Unanswered Prayers

**Hey everyone! Sorry it took me this long to update. Things have been crazy lately. But enjoy the chapter and review! :D**

Chapter Fifteen: Unanswered Prayers

Edward carried me inside his house once we arrived home. I was still crying, but I wasn't sobbing as hard as I had been. He brought me into the living room, holding me close to his chest.

"Edward? Is that you? Did you see that Jasper is here?" I heard Alice trill as she walked into the room. I heard her gasp as she took in my appearance.

"What happened?" Alice demanded as she ran over to where Edward was now sitting on the couch, cradling me.

"When we went to her house to get some of her stuff, her mom was there." Edward said quietly as he stared at me. He didn't take his eyes off my face.

Alice gasped again and leaned down to look me in the eyes.

"This calls for a girl's day." She said quietly with a soft smile. "You, me, and the only three men a girl can count on. Ben, Jerry, and Nickolas Sparks."

Despite myself, I giggled. It was hoarse do to my lack of talking.

"Okay, Alice. Thank you."

"Where's Esme?" Edward asked as he, finally, looked away from me.

Alice sighed. I peeked over at her to see Jasper standing behind her, holding her waist. He smiled at me sympathetically. I tried my best to smile back, but I knew it wasn't convincing.

"She went to the grocery store. She should be back any minute." Alice said as she began walking out of the room with Jasper in tow. "I'm here if you need me Bella." She called.

I nodded, but I wasn't sure if she saw me. I kept looking at Edward's face, drawing the strength I needed to keep moving from him. He looked down at me, worry written all over his face. I didn't want him to worry for me. I knew I was going to make it through this…as long as I had him by my side.

But all I could think about was my mother back at Charlie's house. It was hard for me to imagine her around the house. She hadn't been there in so long; it was hard to imagine her there now. Was she still there? Or had she already left again? I wouldn't be surprised. That's just what she did.

The front door opened and I heard light dainty footsteps enter the foyer.

"Alice? Edward? Bella? Anyone home?" I heard Esme yell out. It warmed my heart slightly that she called my name when she called out for her children.

"In here, mom." Edward said quietly.

I heard Esme patter her way into the living room.

"Oh goodness." She gasped as she looked at the scene in front of her.

I listened to her as she ran over to where I was. I looked up at her as she sat down on the couch near me. She reached out and grabbed me, pulling me to her.

"Edward, give Bella and I a few moments alone." Esme demanded in a soft voice as she began to push the hair that had been matted to my face back.

Edward looked over at me and locked eyes with me. He had a look of determination on his face as he stood up.

"I'll be right upstairs if you need me Bella." He said as he kissed my forehead. I smiled slightly and nodded at him. He smiled back and then turned and walked out of the room.

Esme stood up and smiled at me. Ok, go get changed." She said.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, confused, and she laughed slightly. "I want you to go upstairs, take a shower, throw on your pajamas and come down here. We'll talk about everything then. I'll meet you down here in half an hour." Esme scooted me out of the room and started heading to the kitchen as I went upstairs.

I kind of went through the motions in a daze. I grabbed an oversized hoodie and a pair of sweatpants along with my delicates and quickly went into the bathroom. I turned the shower on and made it so cold, I almost couldn't stand it. But I needed to numb the pain that I was feeling and this seemed like the only way to do it. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I turned the knob and made it warm again. I sighed as it warmed my icy skin.

Once I was through with the shower, I quickly got out and dried myself off. I threw on my clothes and, after twisting some of the water out, I threw my hair up into a messy bun. I sighed as I looked in the mirror. I glared at the eyes I saw in the mirror looking back at me. They were the eyes of my mother, the eyes of a woman who left her family for her own selfish reasons. I wiped the mirror with my hand, smearing the image slightly with the water from the steam of my shower. I didn't want to see those eyes anymore.

I walked out of the bathroom and started to slowly trudge to the stairs. I stopped for a moment, hoping to hear Edward making some sort of noise from his bedroom, but I heard nothing. I figured he was composing, which is what he normally did when he had alone time.

I walked down the stairs and heard movement in the living room. I peeked in and found Esme sitting on the couch with sweatpants and an old oxford sweatshirt on. Her hair was thrown in a ponytail that lay delicately on her right shoulder. Even dressed down she still looked like a model.

When she saw me enter, she patted the spot on the couch next to her. She had various junk foods on the coffee table, including some of my favorites. She must have noticed what I munched on the most.

She smiled at me as I took my seat.

"Okay, Bella. Let's talk." She said simply.

I sighed and pulled my legs up to my chest, biting my lip. "Well today after school I asked Edward if we could go to my house and get some clothes and a few of my possessions so I didn't have to keep using Alice's stuff. And when I got home…" I bit my lip again, not wanting to continue. Then I remembered that my mother bit her lip, so I quickly stopped, feeling ashamed that I was like her in anyway.

Esme reached out and grabbed my hand. "It's okay dear, just tell me when you're ready."

I sighed. "My mom was there." I said in a whisper.

Esme's eyes widened. "Your mother? Is that the first time you've seen her since she left?" Esme asked.

My lip started to tremble as my eyes filled with tears. "Yes. And she just waltzes in there like she owns the place. She used the spare key to get in the house. And when she saw me, she acted like everything was okay. But it's not! And then she told me that the affair that she had when she was still with my dad was with Mr. Monroe, my stupid chemistry teacher. I come to find out that she was staying with him after she first left us. She was still in town. And then to know that Mr. Monroe, one of my favorite teachers and one of our old family friends had something to do with it…it kills me. It makes me sick to know I'm related to her."

Esme let me finish my rant without any interruptions. She waited for a few moments after I finished and let me steam before she began to speak in a gentle voice.

"In the past few weeks, I have seen how unfair life can be to people who do not deserve it. You do not deserve any of the things life has thrown at you, but you have taken them in stride. You keep your head up no matter what happens and I admire you for that.

"Now I want to tell you a story, Bella. When I was a young girl, a few years younger than you, my parents started to fight. It got to the point where at night, I would fall asleep with a pillow wrapped around my head, desperate to block out the yelling. But my parents were both very Catholic. They didn't believe in divorce, whether or not it was what was for the best. So they stayed together for better or for worse." Esme pondered this for a moment. "Actually, there really wasn't a better in their life, so they just stayed together for the worse. But they found other ways to get around their problems." She laughed a short laugh. "I find it funny that even though divorce was unacceptable to them, they could find some way to justify infidelity and alcoholism."

I stared at her with wide eyes and she smiled at me sadly. "They stayed like that for a long time. Drinking and cheating. At least I didn't know any of the people my parents slept with personally," she said, giving me a sympathetic look. "But it drove me insane none the less. Sometimes, I wished that one of them would just leave or put their morals aside for what was better for both of them. But they never did. They stayed together though it nearly killed us all. The alcoholism would eventually take my father while my mother ended up dying of old age. And I was almost dead emotionally. I had gone to the hospital with my father when I was 20 and I met Carlisle's father. He was my own father's doctor. He introduced me to Carlisle one day when he had come to the hospital to have lunch with his father. He saved my life.

"That's why he reacted so strongly when he found out about your past. He knew what that could do to a person. I had given up on everything until I met him. He saved me." She said with a smile.

I listened with rapt attention, not being able to picture the Esme that sat in front of me now as an emotionless hopeless mess. She sighed again after a moment and started to finish her story.

"Now in no way am I justifying what your mother or father did to you. But I bet as a child you prayed and wished every night for your mom to come back and for her and your father to get back together. But if that would have happened…I would hate to see you in the environment that I grew up in, Bella. I was so lost when I met Carlisle. I've learned to thank God for unanswered prayers. The way you want things to happen might not be the way things are supposed to happen."

I stared at her calm face, trying to figure something out.

"But I don't understand. You wished and prayed for your parents to get a divorce and to get away from each other. Why are you thankful that no one answered those prayers or wishes?" I asked.

She smiled at me. "Because if my prayers had been answered, I would never of have met Carlisle. And he's the one thing that put me back together and completes me." She smiled down at her wedding ring. "I wouldn't trade that for anything. He gave me my kids and I wouldn't trade that for anything." And then she looked up at me. "And I would have never of met you either, Bella. And I wouldn't trade that for anything either. Not only have you made my daughter and son extremely happy, but you've made this whole family happy. Carlisle and I consider you a daughter already. Emmett and Alice consider you a sibling. And Edward…" She trailed off, looking teary eyed and winked at me.

I was crying by this point, but I had to laugh a bit. "Thank you, Esme. You really helped me put some things into perspective."

She nodded. "I'm a mother. That's my job." She finished with a loving smile.

As if knowing the important stuff was over, the front door burst opened to reveal a very excited Alice.

"Okay, Jasper is busy doing some school work at the library, Dad isn't due home until 10:30 tonight, and Edward is doing a composition or something." She reported to Esme. "Did you complete your part?" Alice asked Esme as she nodded in approval of Alice's report.

Esme nodded in approval. "Good job, Alice. And yes." She said, pointing to the table on her side of the couch. I peeked over to see "The Notebook", "A Walk to Remember" and a few other titles. I smiled.

Esme cocked an eyebrow at Alice. "Did you get the stuff?" She asked.

Alice nodded with a smile and pulled two bags out from behind her back. And from the bags she pulled out two gallons of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. "Oh yeah." She said with a mischievous smile. "I got the stuff."


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Composition

Chapter Sixteen: Composition

That day with Alice and Esme was exactly what I needed. We didn't move from our spot on the couch the rest of the evening. We only ended up watching "A Walk to Remember" because of time constraints. No men were allowed in the living room and even though I missed Edward terribly, I needed some girl time to just forget everything and watch a movie.

We all were blubbering by the end of the movie. It felt nice not to be the only one crying for once.

Alice sighed as the credits began to roll and stood up, stretching. Her eyes were red and her face was slightly blotchy.

"I hate that movie." She mumbled.

Esme laughed. "Then why did you pick it?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Because it's an amazing love story and because Landon Carter is hot. The ending just sucks."

Esme and I giggled as Alice ranted. I couldn't help but think of Alice as a sister and Esme as well…my mother. What we did tonight only showed me what I had been missing all of those years, but now it felt like I had it. I had a mother and a sister to share things with.

But as soon as all the goodnights were said and we departed, I couldn't help but let my mind drift to the question of the day.

I was apparently good enough for Esme…why wasn't I good enough for Renee?

Esme's story did help me a lot. I guess in a lot of ways, it was better the Renee did leave. If she had stayed, there would have just been more fighting and more problems. But that didn't stop me from resenting her. She still left me without a word, not even telling us where she was.

And now that fact that Mr. Monroe was involved in this…he housed her after she had left. He helped her get away with it. And then he has the nerve to sit in class and stare at me each day when he saw what Renee did to me. And to know that he helped…it disgusted me.

I tried to shake the thoughts, determined to keep the lightheartedness of tonight on the forefront of my mind.

When I made it to the top of the stairs, I peeked in Edward's room. His door was open a crack, so I could see him on his bed. He still had on his earphones and was plucking away on the keyboard, so I decided it was best if I didn't annoy him. I quietly slipped into my bed room and crawled into bed, exhausted from a day that was overall exhausting.

But the peace that sleep normally brought did not find me tonight. I woke up several times with nightmares and was unable to shake the feelings they gave me. It was one of those nightmares that even though you wake up, the moment you fall back asleep, you start right where you left off.

By the time I looked at the clock and saw that it said 3:00am, I decided it was time to call it quits. I wasn't getting sleep anytime soon.

I got out of bed quietly, grabbing my most recent read, and headed down stairs. It was extremely dark as I made my way down stairs, the clouds covering up the moon that would normally illuminate a path for me. I held on to the railing for dear life and sighed in relief once I finally made it down the stairs.

I went into the living room and curled up in a chair near the back of the room. This was the spot I normally read whenever I read in the living room. It was in the corner near a window, so I had natural light during the day, but there was a lamp next to it that I could flick on at night. I grabbed a blanket that was slung on the back of the couch and took it back to my chair. I curled up, threw the blanket on top of me, and then opened my book and began reading.

About five chapters later, I heard someone else start moving around the house. I heard a door open and then I listened as it clicked shut. A moment later, I heard another door open and after a few seconds, I heard it click shut too. Then I heard footsteps heading down the stairs and after a few long seconds, I saw Edward's figure illuminated in the dim light of the living room.

He looked like he hadn't slept at all either. There were purple bags under his eyes and they were slightly bloodshot. His hair was even more tousled then usual as if he had been running his hand through it repeatedly. But besides the bloodshot eyes, he looked energized. His eyes were sparkling slightly.

"There you are. What are you doing down here?" He asked as he kneeled in front of me.

I sighed. "I couldn't sleep, so I can down here to read for a while. Why are you still up?" I demanded.

He smiled. "I've just finished the song that I've been working on." He said, holding up a few pieces of paper. "Are you ready to hear me play?"

I smiled. That explained the excited sparkle in his eyes. "Yes." I said excitedly.

He stood up and extended his hand to me. "Let's go down to the basement then." He said as he pulled me to him. He kissed me on the forehead and I couldn't help but melt into him for a moment.

"Let's." I said.

He held my hand as he led me down to the basement of the house. I had only been down here once briefly during my stay. The laundry room was down here also and I had tried to wash some of Alice's clothing until Esme caught me and insisted on doing it herself. Now that I actually got a chance to look at it, it was quite nice. It was furnished and had a beige plush carpeting that felt very soft against my feet. There was some older looking furniture around the room. None of it really matched, but it looked good together in a strange way. There was also a decent sized TV along with a few crumpled up chip bags and random pop cans.

"Emmett." Edward explained. I nodded in understanding.

And in the far right corner of the room, slightly segregated from everything else was a beautiful baby grand piano. I smiled as I watched Edward spread out the music he had been carrying, putting it in the correct order for playing. He sat down on the bench and then patted the spot next to him.

I sat down and looked over the music, but I couldn't figure out what it would sound like in my head. I looked at him, anxious for him to begin.

He smiled. "Be honest. If you don't like it, tell me." Despite the smile, his eyes were serious.

I nodded. "I promise."

He nodded, taking a deep breath. And then he put his hands on the keys.

The music swirled around me in an intoxicating melody. I watched as his hands flew across the keys and was amazed by the talent that he possessed. It felt like all the notes were significant and meant something to him. It seemed familiar in a strange way. It felt like he had written it for me. It felt like he had written it about me…

He had written it about me.

As I listened, I heard all the emotions I had ever felt. I heard the way it felt when I cried. I heard the way it felt when I smiled, when I genuinely smiled. I heard the anger and betrayal I had felt when I spoke to Renee for the first time in 8 years. All those emotions were portrayed in the melody. The song didn't need lyrics. It was expressive enough without them.

The song ended on a very poignant note. I could hear the sadness in the conclusion, but there was also an undercurrent of hope. An undercurrent of love.

And I couldn't hold back anymore. I was done holding back.

"I love you." I found myself saying. And it felt right. It felt more right than anything I had ever said.

The ending of his song-my song-was still hovering in the air as well as the words I had just uttered.

And the fact that there was no response right away made me hold my breath and made my heart start to break.

**Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) As usual, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Good Enough

**I decided to post another chapter today. I'm a little nervous about this one so review and tell me what you think! :)**

Chapter Seventeen: Good Enough

It was silent for a few long moments that felt like hours to me. The moment had been right. I had felt that. But as the seconds wore on, I began to wonder if I should have just kept it to myself. I should have known he wouldn't return my feelings.

I didn't look up after I made my confession. I was too afraid of what I would see written on his face. So I kept my eyes locked on the keys that he had just entranced me with, waiting for him to say something.

But as seconds turned to minutes, my patience dwindled. I finally made myself speak.

"I don't expect you to say it back of anything so don't feel pressured. I just…I've wanted to tell you for a while and after that song…it sounded like it was written for me." I realized I had put my foot in my mouth again. "I mean…it just sounded like…I don't know…how I've felt before. And I just figured that well…" I as rambling now, and no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't stop myself. It was better than the awkward silence. "I understand that you don't feel the same way so don't feel bad or anything. I figured you wouldn't so I wasn't going to tell you originally. This just felt like the right time and-"

I was finally put out of my misery by Edward's finger coaxing my chin up and then by his lips crashing down on mine. My cheeks were bright red by this point due to embarrassment, but with Edward kissing me, I forgot what I was embarrassed about in the first place.

After a few minutes, he finally pulled back, but he kept my face between his hands.

"You are the most absurd person I've ever met. You know that right?" He said with an amused smile on his face.

"I'm glad I amuse you." I said as I looked back down. I was still too embarrassed to look into his eyes.

He laughed. "Yes you do amuse me, Bella. First of all, that song _was_ written for you and about you. You were the inspiration behind every note, behind every chord. That's the way you would sound if you were a melody."

I smiled and blushed at him as he spoke, feeling slightly relieved that I hadn't made a complete fool of myself. But I waited for him to address the bigger issue here. The issue of him not being in love with me.

His face got very serious as he looked me over. "But I'm kind of mad at you." He said as he stroked his hands down my face, letting them travel down the sides of my neck and then down my arms where he landed on my hands, which he held.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Why would you think I didn't return your feelings?" He demanded, but he didn't give me the chance to answer. "You act as though I was going to deny you. Of course I love you, you silly girl. I've loved you since the night I stayed at your house during the thunderstorm. How could I not love you?"

I couldn't help the tears that trickled from my eyes, but they were happy tears accompanied by a genuine smile.

"You do? You love me?" Anyone could hear the hope in my voice.

"Yes Bella. I love you. Why on earth is that so hard for you to believe?"

I sighed, deciding to be completely honest with him. "It doesn't make sense for you to love me. It never will." I said simply.

He looked confused and angry. "Why would you even say that? It makes perfect sense because we make perfect sense."

I bit my lip and sighed again. I wanted to be honest with him without sounding pathetic. "I don't know. I just don't think I'm good enough for you. I'm not good enough for a lot of people." I said simply.

He frowned, a look of determination on his face. "I want you to listen very close to what I'm about to say to you Isabella Swan. Your mother is a selfish and cruel person for what she did to you. She missed out on getting to know an amazing person and I hope she regrets that for the rest of her life. But I would never take you or your love for granted the way she did. Now that I know that I have your love, I will never let anyone or anything take that away from me. Your mother isn't good enough for you. Anyone who thinks that they are better than you isn't good enough for you."

I couldn't help reaching forward and grabbing his face so I could pull him to me. I kissed him with a passion I could only hope he felt and understood. HE kissed me back with the same amount of passion that I was giving him. With the same amount of love.

"But wait." I demanded pulling back. "What took you so long to reply after I said it? You almost gave me a heart attack or something."

He shrugged. "It's not every day the girl of your dreams says she loves you. I was a little surprised if I'm being honest. And I wanted to be sure I wasn't so tired that I imagined it because I'm delusional. Your little rant helped prove that I was awake and that I wasn't dreaming." He said with red cheeks. But then he smirked. "And plus, you're really cute when you get embarrassed like that."

I couldn't help but smile.

"Can you play it again?" I asked him, referring to the music that was still laid out in front of him.

"Anything for you, love." He said. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead and then turned back to play my song.

This time, instead of watching his hands fly across the keys, I watched his face as he played instead.

His eyes were closed for most of it, showing me that the music sheets he had in front of him were unnecessary. He had a soft smile on his face as he played, showing that he truly enjoyed playing this piece.

Watching him play my song again, I realized I should have watched his face when he played it the first time. Because every time he opened his eyes to peek at the music, there was no doubt that the only emotion in his eyes was love.

**Hey everyone! I know this chapter was kind of short, but I felt bad leaving everyone with cliffhanger like I did haha :) But I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll see if I can post another chapter by tonight or tomorrow morning :) REVIEWW! :)**

**And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! You rock my socks and I love you all! :)**


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Celebration

**Hey everyone! Sorry that it's taken me so long to update this time. Everything has been crazy lately. But I hope this chapter makes up for it. Let me know what you think! REVIEW! Thanks to all the amazing people that have reviewed so far. I love you guys. Anyways...on with the story!**

Chapter Eighteen: Celebration

I took a deep breath as I stood outside the rehab clinic. This conversation had been a long time coming, and I knew I should have been prepared for it, but I wasn't. However I knew that it had to be done, so that's why I'm standing outside the rehab center, trying to find the courage to go inside.

Charlie had tried to have this conversation many times, but I had always avoided it. I didn't want to ruin any of the progress he had been making, but it had to happen sooner or later. Ignorance may be bliss, but dragging the ignorance out is a pain in the ass.

So after a few minutes, I got the courage up and walked inside the building. This was honestly going to be harder than the first time I went to see him after he was admitted.

The nurse at the front desk smiled at me and buzzed me through. They knew who I was by now and who I was coming to see.

I walked down the hallway, smiling at a few of the nurses I recognized as well as a few of the patients that I had met in my time with Charlie. But I was anxious to get to Charlie's room so I could get this conversation over with, so all my smiles were forced.

When I finally got to his room, I was pleasantly surprised to find one of my favorite nurses in his room. Her name was Sue Clearwater. She was always nice to my father and I, and because of her, I always felt a little less guilty leaving my dad to go back home.

"Hello there, Bella!" Sue said with a smile the same time my dad said "Hey squirt."

"Hey guys. How's he doing, Sue?" I asked as I sat down in my normal seat.

She smiled. "He's doing really well since last time you were here. He's been positive no matter what. We're very proud of him." She smiled at him and I watched as my dad blushed.

"Good to know." I said with a smile.

She smiled at me again. "Well, I'll leave you two alone. If you need me, I'm only a call away." After one more sue like smile, she breezed out of the room.

Then it was just me and Charlie. My nerves started going full force again as I looked him over.

He had more color to his skin now and he looked happier. He was smiling at me from his place on his bed. Today, he was wearing a loose fit gray shirt along with some black shorts. He looked much more comfortable today than he had in the past.

"What's up kiddo?" He asked as he sat up and threw his feet off the side of the bed.

"I just…I had to talk to you about something if that's ok. I mean, if you have something to do, I can just come back later."

He shook his head as he grabbed the little plastic table that was in his room and brought it over to where I sat along with a chair. He sat down on the opposite side of the table and smiled.

"I always have time to talk to you. Tell me what's up." He said. I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the way he regarded me now to the way he did just a week or so ago.

I sighed and decided to cut right to the chase. "Did you know that mom is home?" I asked quietly.

Charlie froze and looked at me, disbelief clear in his eyes. "Excuse me?" He asked, his voice horse.

"Renee came home yesterday." I repeated.

"Are you sure it was her?" He asked. "It's been…a long time."

I laughed sarcastically. "Dad, the woman was standing in the living room of your house. She has my eyes, bites her lip like I do…and I was old enough to remember what she looked like when she walked out."

He sighed. "Of course. Sorry. I'm just…I'm in shock. I haven't even spoken to her since that day…"

I sighed.

"What does she want?" He asked, not meeting my eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "Apparently, she wanted to help me. I guess she's been keeping tabs over the years and found out about…everything."

I watched as his eyes narrowed. "The bastard…" He began, but then he trailed off.

"Dad?" I began. "Look at me."

He finally met my eyes and sighed a defeated sight.

"Do you know who she has been contacting since she left?"

He studied me for a long moment before he answered. "Yes…well, I _assume_ I do at least."

I bit my lip. "Do you think it's David Monroe?" I asked.

A look of pure hatred entered Charlie's eyes. "You know about him?" he asked, his voice like steal.

I nodded. "When I had my encounter with Renee, I asked her who the other man was. She told me."

He sighed. "Then yes. That's who I assume she has been keeping up with since she left. I don't know if you remember him Bella, but he was a–"

"You've missed a lot dad." I interrupted quietly. "I do remember David Monroe. But for the past few years he's been Mr. Monroe to me. He's my chemistry teacher. I had him for physics last year. I know Mr. Monroe quite well."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded. But after a moment, a look of shame came over his face.

"You weren't exactly available dad." I said quietly. This time, it was my turn to avoid eye contact.

It was quiet in the room as we sat there. Like I said, this conversation had been a long time coming. Even though he had apologized in his note, that didn't change the past. And it didn't change the fact that I had a lot of things that I wanted to say to him. So I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"That day in fifth grade when I came home from school…I was just as upset and hurt as you were dad. Imagine that situation through the mind of a little girl. My mommy didn't want me. She called me "the kid." She couldn't even find it in her to call me by my name…or send me a letter a few years down the road to explain what had happened. And I needed someone dad. I needed a parent. But you weren't there for me. And I don't blame you for being upset. I understand that you were just as devastated as I was. But we could have gotten through it together. I had no one, dad. The only person I ever had was myself. And that wasn't fair. All I ever wanted was for you to hold me and explain what was going on. But I had to figure it out and deal with it by myself."

Charlie never interrupted me as I spoke. He listened with a sad look on his face, but it was also understanding. And I realized that he already knew all of this. But I also knew that he understood that I had to say it, that I had to get it all out.

"And I'm very sorry if I did hurt your feelings with how much time I was spending with the Cullen's. But they were the only people who ever made me feel like I had a family. Like I belonged somewhere. I needed that so badly for the longest time, and the Cullen's gave it to me."

I was surprised to find that I wasn't full out crying by this point. I was tearing up, but I wasn't crying.

Once I finished with my little rant, I finally made full out eye contact with Charlie.

"I know Bella. I had no right to be upset with you for spending time with the Cullen family. You needed a family and I never gave you one. You have nothing to apologize for. Everything you said that day was entirely true. And even though I didn't want to believe it, I knew you were right. It was what I needed, the motivation I needed to make myself find help. And the Cullen's are great people. I'll admit that I wanted to knock off Dr. Cullen's head the first day he came to see me, but the next time he stopped b y I realized he was right. I needed help. So never regret what happened that day because you did the right thing. And I know that it will never be enough, but I want you to know that I'm so sorry. I will never be able to forgive myself for what I put you through and I don't expect you to either."

I reached my hand out over the table and rested my hand on top of my fathers. "I forgive you." I said simply. And I meant it.

And then I watched as tears started streaking out of my father's eyes and down his face.

"Thank you." He said earnestly.

I smiled at him and he smiled back.

I didn't want to ruin the heartwarming moment, but I still had a few things to ask him.

"Okay, I have a few more questions." He nodded for me to continue, the look of peace still on his face. "Did you know where Renee went after she left?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. If I had known I would have chased after her and tried to talk some sense into her."

I sighed. "I know where she went." He nodded for me to go on. "She stayed at the bastard's house."

"Of course she did." He mumbled. He didn't look surprised, but he did look hurt. "What else do you want to know? I'll tell you anything."

I sighed. "That's all I really wanted to know for now." I said with a shrug. "But thanks for being honest with me, dad. That's what I really needed."

He smiled as I stood up. He stood up with me and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I hugged my daddy. It was slightly awkward because Charlie had never been good at showing emotion, but I could feel the love behind it. He was my dad again, even though he was in a very fragile state.

I smiled at him once more as he released me and turned to the door. I was halfway out when Charlie said "Bella?"

I turned to him. "Yeah?"

"Happy belated birthday." He said with a smile.

I smiled back, slightly stunned. "Thanks dad." I said. And then I turned and walked out.

I was quite surprised that he remembered seeing as even Edward and Alice forgot about it with what was going on lately. I barely remembered it myself. The only thing that was given to me was a book and a cupcake with a candle at 7pm after Edward realized his mistake. Alice promised repeatedly that she would throw me a proper party once everything calmed down, but I didn't need one. The cupcake and the book were very sweet and just perfect for me.

As I walked out of the rehab center and into the crisp air of October, I sighed, feeling a lot lighter. Even though I still had my mother to worry about, Charlie and I had said what we needed to say for now and I felt much better about myself. I walked over to my truck-which I had finally gotten fixed but hadn't had much chance to drive-and jumped in, ready to go home and enjoy a relaxing evening lounging around the house.

When I pulled into the Cullen's drive way, I noticed that there were a few more cars than normal. I recognized the massive Jeep as Emmett's car so I knew that must mean the other two cars were Rosalie's and Jasper's.

But when I walked inside the house and noticed everything was eerily quiet. Did they all go out to dinner and decide that they just wanted their actual family? I looked around to see if there was a note anywhere, but I saw nothing. I shrugged, feeling slightly alone, but I figured it wasn't right to. They weren't my biological family and they had a right to go out by themselves.

I was startled when a light in the living room flicked on, causing me to shriek.

"Surprise!" Everyone called out, making me jump once again.

I looked over into the living room to see the entire family standing in a clump in the center of it, smiling widely at me.

I looked around the room and saw a smile pile of gifts in the corner along with a cake sitting on a nearby table.

"Guys, my birthday was a few weeks ago." I said as I smiled at them. I couldn't not smile.

Edward smiled and walked up to me, pulling me to his chest. "Well, we figured you deserved a night just for you. So this is it. Happy birthday." He kissed the top of my head.

I pulled back slightly and smiled at him. "Thank you."

He smiled back and kissed me lightly on the lips this time, making me blush.

"So for dinner," he began as he led me towards his family, "we're having pizza, the traditional food for a birthday party. And then for desert we will gorge ourselves on cake and ice cream. We will eat both while watching a movie of your choice. But before that, we must open presents." He pushed me down on the couch while everyone grabbed a present and brought them over to me.

Emmett smiled, pushing his way through the rest of the family to hand me his gift.

"You're going to love this, Bella." He said with a huge smile.

I smiled back as I reached up and took the gift, wondering what it could be. I carefully tore off the wrapping paper (that just happened to be covered in Christmas Bells, which I was sure was on purpose) and smiled once I saw what lay underneath it. There were a stack of CDs of bands that I had mentioned I enjoyed. I was surprised to see that he remembered any of them. They were all new CDs from the bands, most of them having been recently released in the last month.

"Thank you so much, Emmett. This is awesome!" I said with a smile.

"I knew she'd like it." Emmett said with a smug smile.

Rosalie handed me a small package wrapped in a light blue wrapping paper. I smiled at her as I opened the package. Inside the box, there was a beautiful dark green sweater. The sleeves were long and looked like they would cover up most of my hands. It had a lower v-neck then I would normally wear, but I figured I could just wear an undershirt. It had a different stitch where the bust was supposed to end and it flared out slightly at the bottom.

"This is so nice, Rose. Thank you." I gave her a genuine smile which she returned.

"Your welcome, Bella."

The next person to hand over a present was Jasper. His was wrapped in a shiny white wrapping paper and I could already tell by the shape what his gift was.

I opened eagerly and smiled at the stack of books Jasper had given me. It was a series I had been dying to read but I hadn't had the money to buy it. I don't know how Jasper knew I would love it, but he must have known.

"I've been waiting to read these for the longest time! Thank you, Jasper."

He smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

Carlisle and Esme handed me a square shaped box next wrapped in paper that had little birthday cakes and balloons all over it. It was quite large, but I couldn't figure out what they could have possibly gotten me.

I couldn't help the excitement that covered up the guilt I had when I saw the word "Dell" written across the box after I tore the paper off.

I looked up at them with wide eyes. "No way." I said, smiling.

Carlisle smiled. "We figured you could use one. Your senior year is important, and you are going to need one for next year at college."

"I don't know if I can accept this." I said, letting the guilt over cloud my excitement. "This must have been expensive."

Esme shook her head. "I don't want to hear that. You deserve this, Bella. Let yourself have a little fun and excitement. Enjoy it." She said with a warm smile.

I smiled widely at her and stood up, hugging both of them tightly. "Thank you both so much."

They both smiled and nodded, shrugging it off like it wasn't a big deal.

Alice bounded over to me as soon as my butt was back on the couch. "Open mine next!" She said with her contagious enthusiasm.

She put her gift in my lap. It was a small box that was wrapped in bright pink wrapping paper.

"It's no laptop, and it's pretty corny, but I thought you would like it."

I smiled at her. "I'm sure I'll like it, Alice."

And that wasn't a lie. The box had the words "Tiffany & Co." across the top, letting me know that it was still expensive.

I carefully took the lid off the box to reveal a bracelet with a heart charm on the end of it. And on the heart, it had _BFF_ written near the top and _Bella_ written near the bottom. I was slightly awe struck as I held it up.

I smiled over at Alice as she smiled at me, holding up her wrist to show an identical bracelet hanging from hers. The only difference was that it said _Alice_ instead of _Bella_.

"Alice this is so sweet." I said quietly, smiling at her. "I love it." I held my wrist out and she helped me attach the bracelet. I smiled as it glittered on my wrist.

"My turn." Edward said as he stepped up next to me and sat down beside me.

"No. You already got me a present, Edward. Remember the book you bought me on my birthday?"

He shrugged. "I don't care. I wanted to get this for you, and you can't complain about gifts on your birthday." He said resolutely.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him, but held my hands out, waiting to accept his gift.

He placed a small package in my hand. It was slightly longer then the box the bracelet had come in but it felt different.

Underneath the wrapping paper was a brand new Ipod touch. I gasped.

"This is…awesome." I finished lamely. I had honestly wanted an Ipod for a while, but I had never saw it as a necessity.

"I thought you could use it for all the CDs Emmett got you." He said jokingly with a smile.

I smiled back at him. "Thank you. All of you. This is the best birthday I've ever had." I said honestly.

Edward put his arm around me and kissed my head once again.

"Okay." Alice said. "Mom, go get the plates. Dad, go get the pizza. Emmett, help dad by carrying the wings. Jasper, get the beverages. Rosalie, Edward, and I will stay here with Bella and pick out a movie." Alice had entered boss mode. She'd be a good party planner one day.

"Okay Bella. What movie will it be?" She asked as she laid out about 6 different DVDs. But by the time she laid the third one down, my decision was already made.

"That one." I said, pointing.

She smiled. "Beauty and the Beast it is."

**Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to update again very soon. REVIEW! It gives me the energy to write more! :)**


	20. Chapter Nineteen:Replaced

**Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been a while. This chapter isn't the best, but I hope you enjoy it. I've been working on a few other ideas so watch for new stories to come up! :)**

**Anyways...On with the Chapter :)**

Chapter Nineteen: Replaced

At first, I thought I was dreaming. I have had dreams like this before and they always made me wake up with such an intense longing in my heart that it would make me cry. However, this dream was slightly different from normal. In this dream, I had just left school. I had told Edward that I would meet him at home. I wanted to go back to Charlie's house and face whatever might be there-whether it was emptiness or Renee.

This was when the dream began to change from its normal course. When I pulled up to the house, there were two cars there. I recognized one of them as the car I had noted Edward admiring on my last trip here. The other I didn't recognize at all. But only when I reached the front door did I realize that this must be a dream. For I could hear three people laughing from inside the house. One was deep and gruff, clearly belonging to a man. The second was more feminine but matured. The third however was a sound I knew well. It was a high tinkling laugh, the laugh of a child.

It was the laugh I knew belonged to me as a child.

I opened the door quietly as if not to alert my dream family, my dream past. And the scene I saw before me looked as a dream I had dreamed many times except I was watching. Normally I was the child. Renee was sitting on the couch with the young girl-the young me-seated in her lap. The child's back was to me, but she had the long brown hair that I knew belonged to me.

Charlie was sitting in the chair in such a way that his back was to me. I noticed subtle differences in his physical looks. His hair was full and much darker than his normal brown. His build also looked slightly more in shape which confused me. I shrugged it off though. This was just a dream. Things could I change, I suppose.

I watched as my dream Charlie said in a voice that I didn't recognize "Come here, squirt!"

I watched as the young child jumped off Renee's lap and turned to run to her father. However, she stopped as soon as her eyes locked on mine.

As soon as her sharp blue eyes locked on mine.

This was not me. This was not my past. This was happening right now.

"Mommy, who is that?" I heard the young girl ask.

Renee finally noticed my presence, as did the man with his back to me. I studied the man whom I did not recognize. He had black hair that was full and slightly curly. His eyes were the sharp blue that the young girl also had. His face was round and gave away how young he was. He had to be at least ten years younger than Renee.

The young girl's face had the same roundness as the man's did. Her hair was the same brown as my hair and as my mother's hair. Her sharp blue eyes studied me as she tugged on my mother's hand.

"Bella?" My mother said. "What are you doing here?" She asked, alarmed.

I cocked an eyebrow while I tried to let my mind adjust to the fact that I wasn't dreaming. "This is my house, Renee. You left it behind long ago."

Renee sighed and looked down at the little girl who was still tugging on her hand.

"Mommy? Who is she? Is this her house?" She asked.

Renee smiled lovingly at the little girl. "Lizzie, this is Bella. And yes, this is her home. Remember how I told you that I had to come here to see someone special? This is her."

My mouth felt dry. "I have a sister?" I asked.

Renee nodded. "Yes. Lizzie, this is your sister Bella."

The little girl, Lizzie, stared at me with wide eyes. "I have a sister? So is daddy her daddy too?" She asked.

The man who I now assumed was Phil shook his head. "No, Lizzie. You see, mommy had her a long time ago."

Lizzie looked confused. Her little brow wrinkled. I had to admit that she was a very cute child. And she seemed just as confused as I had been.

"Then why doesn't she live with us?" Lizzie demanded. "Am I not gonna be able to live with you when I get older?" She looked worried.

Renee looked shocked. "Of course not sweetie. I would never do that."

I couldn't control the snort that came out of my mouth. Renee glared at me. I rolled my eyes at her.

I needed to talk to Renee and I had a feeling that Phil would want to be present too. But I didn't want Lizzie to be a part of this. She was a young child and I wouldn't let Renee's mistakes ruin her childhood like they did mine.

I quickly located a bag of Barbies over buy Renee so I walked over and scooped them up.

"Hey Lizzie?" I said.

She looked up at me. "Huh?"

"I really need to talk to your mommy and daddy for a few minutes, so why don't you go play Barbies out in the kitchen?"

She smiled and walked over to me. "Will you come play with me? I've never had a sister to play with."

I smiled. "I will when I finish talking to your mommy and daddy. Okay?" I said.

She nodded and smiled again, then skipped out of the room, Barbie dolls in hand, and headed into the kitchen.

I looked up at Renee and Phil wanting to get this over with.

"She's going to need to know the truth someday. And sorry, but bull shit that you would never do that to her."

Phil walked forward. "Bella, my name is Phil. I'm Ren-"

I glared at him and interrupted. "I know who you are. I'm bitter, not stupid."

He sighed. "I understand that you're angry, but you have to understand the circumstances."

I hated this man. I don't know what shit Renee had given him, but he needed to be re informed.

"The circumstances? Do you even know the circumstances? Did she ever tell you about the note she left?" He demanded.

I could tell by the guilty expression on my mother's face and by the confused look on Phil's that she had never told him. She may have told him that she made mistakes, that she made me, but apparently he doesn't know the way she left.

"I'll just let you fill him in on that later then, Renee." I said simply. "Why did you even bring them here?" I demanded.

Renee sighed. "They came to stay with me for a while. I want to try and make things right with you, Bella. I want you back in my life. But I needed support. I wanted my family to be with me."

I snorted again. "Your replacement family. You replaced me and dad. I don't think you realize everything you put us through. Charlie being in rehab, me not living here…this is just the after math. You missed the actual storm. The storm lasted eight years."

Renee looked sad and hurt by what I had said, but it didn't bother me. She had no right to look sad and hurt. "Speaking of which, where are you living?" She asked.

"With some friends. Dad is happy that I'm with them and that's all you need to know."

She sighed. "Please, Bella. Just tell me. Let me at least try to make things…better."

I sighed, looking at the woman I had wanted to be just like at one point in my life. She wanted to try to come back into my life. Did I want her to? No, not really. Not anymore. But telling her where I was at couldn't do any harm.

"I'm living with the Cullen's. As in my boyfriends family. His dad is a local doctor."

She nodded. "Okay, I just wanted to be sure you're being taken care of."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'm out of here. I have to get home." I started to walk to the door but then I stopped myself. I sighed and started heading towards the kitchen where Lizzie was sitting on the floor, playing with her dolls.

"Bella!" She exclaimed. "Come on! You've got to help me save Barbie from evil Ken!" Her eyes were wide and innocent. I couldn't refuse her.

"Oh no! We better save her!" I said as I sat down next to her.

I stayed and played with her for about a half an hour. I don't know why I did. Maybe it was my maternal instinct or something. I couldn't stand to let a child down. I was let down my entire childhood. I didn't want Lizzie to have to go through that. Even if it was just playing Barbies.

When I finally decided it was time to leave, Lizzie was disappointed.

"Do you have to go?" She whined.

I nodded. "Yes, I have to get home."

She looked confused. "I thought you lived here."

I shook my head. "I can't live here alone. So that's why I'm living with some…extended family." I said simply.

She shrugged. "You wouldn't be alone. You'd have me, and our mommy and my daddy."

I sighed. "I can't, Lizzie. I'm sorry."

She pouted for a moment but then got over it and hugged my legs. "Will you come see me soon?" She asked.

I smiled at her. "Yes. As soon as I can." I said simply.

She nodded her head and then ran back to her Barbies and began to play again.

I made my way quickly out the door, not in the mood to talk to Renee and Phil again. Even though I had to admit I had a soft spot for Lizzie, I had to wonder what changed or what was different about her that made her good enough for Renee to stick around. I felt replaced by her, like I was her first try and clearly a mistake, so she had to leave and try again. I sighed. I was being selfish.

But in the back of my mind the entire way back to the Cullen's, I couldn't help but think about the little blue eyed girl and how worried I was for her. Renee was a flake. I'd hate to see her hurt Lizzie.

But when I finally made it back to the house and found Edward waiting for me outside, I let all my worries go for a few moments. All there was in this world was me and Edward.

I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck.

"How did it go?"He asked.

I sighed. "Sucky. Turns out that Renee has a whole replacement family. I knew about the husband, but the little girl was a shock to me."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Bella, listen to me. Your mother was horrible to leave you and she had no excuse. Her new family is no better than you so don't even think that you aren't worth it."

I glared playfully. "I hate when you do that." I joked.

He looked confused. "Do what?"

I smiled. "Read my mind. It kind of creeps me out." I joked.

He laughed and pulled my face to his and kissed my lips softly.

"I love you, Edward." I said softly.

He smiled at me. "I love you too. And I'll never take your love for granted."

**Review! :D**


	21. Chapter Twenty: Antibonding

**Hey y'all! I was really bored so I decided to crank out another chapter. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

Chapter Twenty: Antibonding

_It was dark. I couldn't seem to make out anything around me. I was alone as far as I could tell. I had no idea where I was. I took a step forward, thinking that maybe if I kept walking, I'd eventually find someone or somewhere that I could identify, but there was nothing. The farther I walked, the darker it got. I closed my eyes, wishing for someone to come and take me from this darkness._

_When I opened them, I saw a small beam of light from ahead. I hesitantly walked towards it, not knowing if I should trust the strange, mysterious light ahead of me. But the darkness seemed to be edging up around me, so I ran forward, desperate to be free of the blackness. _

_"Bella?" I heard someone yell from the light. It was a voice I would know anywhere, a voice that calmed yet excited me. _

_It was Edward, calling out for me. _

_I ran quickly towards his voice, knowing that when I found it, Edward would be there and he could help me figure out what the strange darkness encircling me was. _

_But when I finally reached the light and stepped into it, I was suddenly in a very familiar surrounding. I was in Charlie's house, standing in my living room, facing Edward._

_"Edward! Thank God!" I exclaimed, running to him._

_But he held his hands out, stopping me._

_"Don't Bella. It will only make this harder on you." He said with a look of pity on his face. _

_"What are you talking about?" I demanded. My stomach was churning and I felt as though I would be sick._

_"I told you, Bella. You aren't good enough for me. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you." He said coldly._

_I stared at him, stunned. This couldn't be the same man who told me earlier that he loved me and would never take me for granted. But as I stared into his beautiful green eyes, I realized that it was indeed. They were cold and heartless as he looked at me._

_"Please! Don't leave me!" I begged._

_"Sorry, Bella." He began, and as he spoke, something began to change. His eyes began to darken. "You just aren't good enough for me." I blinked, and when I reopened my eyes, his eyes were a dark brown that I recognized._

_"Please, Edward! Don't go!" I yelled._

_His brown eyes mocked me as he walked away. Those were the brown eyes that I hated so much._

_They were the brown eyes that belonged to my mother._

_"Bella!" I heard him calling my name again but it didn't make sense. He was already gone. "Bella! Wake up!"_

"Bella!"

I was jolted awake by someone vigorously shaking my body. I finally made my eyes opened and I could vaguely see the dark figure sitting on the side of my bed, staring at me with concern in his green eyes.

Green eyes. It was just a dream.

I realized I was crying after a moment and shook myself slightly, trying to bring myself out of my dream.

"Bella talk to me. What happened, love?"

I sighed, calming myself down and after a moment of hesitation, I told him my horrible dream.

"It was awful, Edward." I said when I finished. "It was like you and my mom were one in the same person and you just…left." I had to choke back a sob.

"Look at me, Bella." Edward said fiercely. "I would never leave you like that. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell you that until you believe me, but I'll keep saying it, no matter how long it takes. I love you, and no matter what happens, I always will. You are so amazing and wonderful. Seeing you smile makes me smile. Seeing you laugh makes me laugh. Seeing you sad makes me sad. I've never felt that connected to anyone in my life. Always remember that. I'm not your mother or your father. I would never hurt you like that. I promise, Bella." His eyes held mine the whole time he spoke, making me believe every word that he uttered. "I love you, Bella. That's not going to change."

I leaned into him, taking in his scent and I relished in the feeling of his strong arms wrapping around me.

"I love you too, Edward. Thank you." I said earnestly.

"For what?" He asked.

I smiled at him through my tears. "For loving me."

He kissed my forehead. "You don't have to thank me. It's an honor to have you except my love."

I sighed into his chest, wishing that we could just stay in this moment forever, but a quick look at the clock showed that it was 2am and we had school tomorrow.

"Come on, love. Let's go to sleep." He said. He pushed me back down onto the bed and, to my utter surprise and joy, came around to the other side of the bed and lay down next to me. He curled up with me, his chest against by back, and put his arms around me.

"Comfortable?" He asked.

I couldn't answer, so I just nodded.

I drifted off to sleep quickly after that.

I knew today would suck…well at least I figured it would. I hadn't had to face Mr. Monroe since I found out about what happened. He hadn't been in school since I found out, which I suppose was convenient for the both of us. I didn't know if he knew I was informed now, but he would soon enough.

I was nervous as Edward and I walked into his classroom and it only intensified when I saw that he was indeed in school today.

"Hello, Bella! Edward." He said, smiling at us and acting completely normal.

Apparently, he hadn't been filled in yet.

I merely nodded at him and took my seat. He didn't seem to pick up on my behavior. He hummed to himself as he got everything set for today's lesson.

Once everyone was in the class room, he clapped his hands together and I steeled myself for what was sure to be a very interesting class period.

"Okay class, listen up. We're going to start learning about Antibonding today." He said with a smile. I couldn't help but smile too. This was perfect. "Can anyone give me a guess or tell me what Antibonding is?" I raised my hand immediately. "Ah, Ms. Swan. Go ahead."

I smiled at him. "Well, Mr. Monroe, I believe Antibonding is when a MO that is located outside of two nuclei comes in uninvited by both nuclei and bonds with it. It makes the nuclei go out of phase. This bonding destabilizes the molecule as a whole. It ruins the molecule." I glared at him towards the end, hoping he got the point.

His smile had faded as he looked at me and smiled smugly at him.

"Thank you, Bella. That was an…interesting explanation."

"What can I say, Mr. MOnroe-" I made sure to emphasize the MO part of his name-"That's just what I got out of the explanation in the book."

He moved on swiftly, not calling on me anymore for the rest of class no matter how many times I raised my hand. It's a good thing too, because I had some sort of innuendo each time.

Even though Edward tried to look disappointed in me, I could see the glitter of amusement in his eyes. He thought it was just as funny as I did.

At the end of class, Mr. Monroe stopped me on the way out.

"Bella, may I speak to you for a moment?" He looked pointedly at Edward. "Alone."

I smiled brightly at him. "Sure thing. I'll meet you outside in a few minutes Edward."

Edward nodded at me, concern in his eyes. I smiled at him reassuringly before he walked out the door.

"So you found out." He said once Edward was gone.

"How could you?" I demanded. "You were my father's friend, you jackass. You had no right to get involved. I can't believe you would do that."

He sighed. "It was a long time ago, Bella. Your mother and I stopped everything after a year. No harm done." He said this quietly.

I laughed sarcastically. "No harm done? Are you fucking serious? Maybe there was no harm for you, but there was for me and my family! My dad is in rehab and Renee left. I mean, now she is back, trying to be mother of the year and all that bullshit, but there was so much harm done."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

I rolled my eyes. "Damn straight you shouldn't have said that." I said.

"So now what?" He asked.

I looked at this man, this pathetic man with his pathetic life. He had a ring on his finger. I wonder if his wife knew he was a cheating bastard.

"Nothing. I'll come to your class, pass, graduate, and then I'll never have to see your face again." I said simply. And then I turned and walked out the door.

Edward was waiting right outside, his face still full of concern.

"What happened?" he asked.

I sighed. "I got pissed off and let my sailor mouth take over. Same old, same old." I shrugged.

He cracked a smile. "You have a right to use your sailor mouth around him and your mother. It's understandable."

He reached out and grabbed my hand, leading us towards the parking lot.

"So what's next?" He asked as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.

I bit my lip, thinking. "I need to talk to my mom again. And even though I hate to admit it, I want to see Lizzie, her daughter-my half sister-again. And I'd really appreciate it if you came with me."

We had reached the car by this point, and he reached out and grabbed my backpack, tossing it inside his Volvo.

"Just tell me when, and I'll be there." He said as he stroked the hair out of my face.

I smiled. "Thank you. So can we go tomorrow? After school?" I asked.

He nodded. "Sounds good."

I sighed as he kissed my head, relishing in the fire it sent coursing down my body. I sat down in his car, shutting the door behind me and watched as he gracefully walked around the car and opened the driver's side door.

Tomorrow would be difficult but I knew as long as I held Edward's hand in mine and felt his presence next to me, it would be easier to get through.

Because, no matter what, I knew Edward would be there to pick up the pieces after they fell and I knew that I would always do the same for him.

**There ya go! I hope you all liked it! I think I might be getting close to the ending on this story. There is only one or two more conflicts to resolve. But anyways, keep reading and keep reviewing! I love you all for it! :D**


	22. Chapter TwentyOne: Shades of Gray

**Hey everyone! Another chapter up:) I'm pretty proud of myself! **

**Just so everyone knows, this will NOT be one of those stories where Bella will forgive people immediately. Renee will not be let off the hook easily, but some sort of small truce needed to be made. Just so you all know :)**

**Anyways...on with the chapter.**

Chapter Twenty-one: Shades of Gray

We sat at the kitchen table staring at each other, not saying anything. The only sound to be heard was the giggling from Lizzie upstairs who was playing with Alice.

We were sitting at the table in Charlie's kitchen. Renee and I were sitting at the heads of the table. Edward was sitting to my right, his chair as close to mine as possible. One arm was around my shoulder while his other hand was on my knee, giving me the comfort that I needed. Phil sat closely to Renee and their intertwined hands rested on the table.

The silence was uncomfortable and strained, but to Renee's credit, she didn't try to break it. She allowed me to get my thoughts in order and decide what I wanted to say. I didn't want this to be another screaming match. I wanted it to be somewhat civil this time.

I looked over at Edward, sure that worry was written all over my face, and he smiled at me and squeezed my knee. I sighed and turned to Renee and Phil again.

"When you came here…I still don't quite understand what you expected."

Renee looked down at her and Phil's hands. "I heard what happened with Charlie and I didn't know who you would go to or what you would do. I know you don't believe me Bella, but even though I left, I still cared for you. I wasn't ready to be a mother when you came along. The only…out I saw was leaving. It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life, but I can't regret it."

I sighed, trying to ignore how much that stung. But I just shook it off. I concentrated for a moment on Edward's arm around my shoulder, the warmth that it gave off, and then continued.

"Well what did you honestly expect, Renee? For me to run into your arms and act like nothing ever happened. I might have done that when I was younger, but not anymore. I know what happened and I had to deal with it on my own." I said. I was surprised how calm I kept my voice.

"I'm not going to lie, in my mind I still imagined you as that young girl." She said as she smiled wistfully. "And I don't think my mind ever fully comprehended that you wouldn't be that same little girl when I came back. I was just as shocked to see you as you were when you saw me. I couldn't believe that you had grown up."

I looked down at my lap. "People grow up, mom. I was going to grow up with or without you. Nothing stopped when you left. You can't just press pause on life and come back when you're ready. It doesn't work like that." I looked back up at her and met her sad eyes.

"I know that now."

I thought for another minute. "What if nothing would have happened to Charlie? What if he had never gone into rehab and no one ever found out about his condition? Would you have ever of come back?"

She hesitated. "I think I would have. I don't know if I would have let you see me, but I would have come back to see how you were, to make sure you were ok." She had the decency to look ashamed.

I looked over at Phil. "Did you tell him about your letter?" I asked quietly.

She nodded, still looking ashamed. "Yes. I did. And he understands that I was…a different person then. That I wasn't a grown up yet."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "At least he knows." I mumbled

It was quiet again for a few moments as I decided what else I wanted to ask.

"How long do you plan on staying?" I asked her.

"That depends." Renee said, trailing off.

"On what?" I asked.

She shrugged. "On what happens today, on what we resolve to do here."

I couldn't promise her anything. It was going to be a long road to forgiveness-if I ever decide to forgive her-and I couldn't honestly see myself spending much more time with her on this visit.

"What about Charlie?" I asked.

Her face paled slightly. "What about him?" She asked, avoiding the subject.

"Are you going to go see him? You owe him a lot of explanations, Renee. Even more than you owe me." I said quietly.

"I don't know. I haven't decided if that would be the right thing to do. I don't want to hinder his recovery." She said with nervousness.

"Charlie is a good man. He might not want to face you, but he knows that he needs it. He has a lot of unresolved issues to take care of, and a lot of them concern you."

Renee sighed, nodding. "I'll go see him eventually." She promised. "Just not now."

I decided to let the subject drop, not wanting to push it any further anyways. I did think that it would be good for Charlie It would give him his chance to say what he wanted to say and that's something I think he needed.

I racked my brain, thinking of the last important question I wanted to ask her. There were a million things I could ask her-did she ever miss me, did she ever think of me, did she take any pictures of us with her-but those weren't important right now. I had one more important question that I needed answered.

"Do you regret it?" I asked her as I looked straight into her eyes.

"I already told you that I can't regret-"

"Not that." I interrupted. "Do you regret coming back?"

Her eyes were fierce as she answered me. "No. I am glad that I did. I'm proud of the woman that you have become and I'm happy I got the chance to see you. No matter what you may think of me, Bella, I love you. You are my daughter and I will do anything to make this better."

I sighed. "That's all I needed to know."

That night as I lay in bed, my mind quickly scanned through everything that had happened today. Renee and I weren't close to having the mother daughter relationship that I had always craved-if I had that with anyone, it was Esme-but it was better than before. I didn't know if I could forgive her and even if I did, I _knew_ that I could _never_ forget what she did.

For the longest time, I saw the world as black and white, dark and light. There was no in-between. I was miserable all the time, so I considered my life in the black section. When the Cullen's came into my life, they were the white, the good. I was still in the black, but they gave me a glimpse into what the light could be like, but I couldn't seem to grasp on long enough to be completely engulfed by the light.

But lately I've learned that there is an in-between between the black and the white. There are so many different shades of gray. And I was in the gray. I wasn't completely lost to the darkness anymore, and my goal was to someday make it into the light.

It would take a while for me to make it into the light, but another thing I'd learned is that I'm strong, but I can also lean on people when I need to. I can always lean on my family-as in the Cullen's-and maybe one day, I could lean on Charlie too.

But for now, I was fine in the gray. It was lighter than the darkness and it meant progress. And for now, that was enough.

**Well, there ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please-REVIEW! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I love you all for it! :)**


	23. Chapter TwentyThree: Changes

**...Don't hate me!**

**I had a major spout of writers block with this story and, as I re-read it today, I realized that I literally had only three chapters left until I finish it. So here's another chapter! **

**Let's do this!**

* * *

3 weeks.

My father would be out of rehab in as little as 3 weeks.

Apparently, he'd made incredible progress and he would be able to come home soon. He'd have to continue with therapy and wasn't allowed to drink at all-obviously-but at least he could do it from home.

I wasn't really sure where that left me. I mean, I've done well at the Cullen's house. My grades had improved immensely and Edward and I are as happy as can be.

Even though I know my father is healing, that doesn't mean I can fully trust him. Being at home with him and returning to our old way of life could make things worse. He needs to realize that things are different now and that they cannot go back to the way things were.

Renee, for example, has decided to stay for as long as she can keep her hotel room at the Forks inn. She decided that she needed to patch things up between Charlie and I, and the only way to do that is to stay here. She even went to see Charlie at rehab and, instead of setting him back like I was afraid it would, it helped him more than I ever could have imagined. He got the closure he needed with Renee and he could finally move on.

Which I could definitely see happening with Nurse Sue.

Either way, things were changing. I think back on my life a few months ago and am amazed by how much has changed. My life has turned around completely.

Edward and I sat on the couch, his head in my lap. His eyes are closed as I stroke his hair. I don't notice that I've zoned out until Edward rolls over and kisses my stomach. I giggle and look down at him.

"Where is that beautiful mind of yours at?" he asks as he holds my free hand between his.

I shrug. "Just thinking. Life's changed so much…" I trail off as I look back at the TV.

Edward leans up and kisses me. "It's been crazy," he admits.

I release a long sigh. "I guess I'm just worried," I say as I curl a piece of his hair around my finger. I release it and it immediately goes back to being straight.

"About what's going to happen with your dad?" he asks as he sits up completely.

I nod and look down at my hands. "It's just going to be weird. I don't want things to go back to how they were, but I don't remember what it's like living with my _real_ father. I was so young when my mom left. I just don't remember," I whisper.

Edward pulls me onto his lap and cradles me close to his body. "Listen to me, Bella. Yes, things will probably be weird and different when you move back home. But I hope you know that my family and I will always be here for you," he says seriously. "Just because you won't be living here anymore doesn't mean you won't be a part of this family. We'll always be around. And I'll always love you, no matter what," he ends sweetly as he kisses my forehead.

I narrow my eyes at him. "How do you always know exactly what to say?" I ask him. "It's unfair how perfect you are."

He laughs. "You make me perfect," he says with a wink. "But you should know I'm not perfect. You just make me a better person. We're both flawed," he says, "but together, we're perfect."

I lean in and kiss him again. "That was super cheesy. But I love it."

* * *

**Well that's that! 2 more chapters left after this. **

**Please review! And stick with me! I promise not to abandon you this time :)**

**Lots of love,**

**Emilia Elliot **


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